ISLAMABAD: Two buildings, including a hotel, have been converted into quarantine centres in the capital.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Hamza Shafqaat said the quarantine centers were set up at an OGDCL hostel in I-9 and Redison Hotel in Blue Area in the wake of Omicron, the new genotype of Covid-19.

The managements of the two establishments offered the buildings for quarantine centres, he added.

Marriott and Serena hotels were also selected for the quarantine centres but due to the OIC meeting scheduled to be held in the capital the hotels were removed from the list.

A notification issued from the office of the DC said in wake of new genotype of Covid19 virus and following the containment strategy of NCOC it has been decided by the capital administration to revitalise/establish quarantine centres in the OGDCL I-9 hostel and Hotel Redison.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Sheryar Arif Khan said more quarantine centres will be set up in the city.

The OIC meeting is scheduled to be held in the capital from December 17 to 19, and buildings located near the venues used for activities related to the meeting will not be made quarantine centres, he added.

About 15 to 22 international flights land at Islamabad International Airport daily, bringing 3,000 to 4,000 passengers, Mr Khan said, adding the positive cases were being quarantined.

Passengers coming from the category ‘C’ countries are quarantined in the centres. People coming from the category ‘C’ countries, who test negative, are quarantined there for three days while those found positive will remain there till their recovery.

On the other day, three passengers arrived in Islamabad from a country included in the list of category ‘C’, the official said.

Meanwhile, a complete Covid-19 vaccination certificate has been made compulsory for registration of vehicles and payment of token and the m-tag from Dec 15.

Another notification said all types of transport (public and private) intercity/intra-city will be checked/inspected at the entry and exit points, bus stand, terminals, toll plazas, interchanges, rest areas and on national highways and motorway for vaccination.

Only vaccinated people will be allowed to travel and non-vaccinated passengers and vehicle staff will be offloaded and vaccinated on the spot through the mobile vaccination team.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2021