KHYBER: The local health authorities on Sunday diagnosed three more Pakistanis with coronavirus after they came back from Afghanistan through the Torkham border on Sunday.

The officials immediately shifted the three affected persons to the quarantine centre set up at the District Headquarters Hospital, Landi Kotal.

Another person returning from Afghanistan was found to be infected with Covid-19 on Saturday after Pakistan closed the border point for Afghan nationals, but allowed its own citizens to return before Eid.

The Rescue 1122 has stationed two ambulances with staff at the border crossing to arrange for shifting of symptomatic persons to the quarantine centre. Health officials said the infected persons would remain at the quarantine centre for a minimum of two weeks to help prevent the spread of coronavirus to other parts of the country through the persons returning from Afghanistan.

Separately, the residents of remote Tirah valley have demanded establishment of an Ehsaas cash centre in the area to facilitate hundreds of recipients.

Haji Shareef, a local elder, said most of the recipients had to travel to the Orakzai district headquarters in Kalaya to collect their money from the centres established there, bearing additional transportation charges. He alleged that the Tirah residents were also forced to pay gratification to the centre staff in Kalaya to receive the cash.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2021