The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has urged the government to immediately take preventive measures to stop the new Covid-19 variant, Omicron, from entering Pakistan.

According to a statement issued by the PMA, the government needs to stay "prepared and vigilant" in the wake of Omicron's discovery.

The association has suggested that facilities be improved at airports and other entry points in the country to scan and monitor passengers. It has further recommended the resumption of Covid-19 testing at airports, particularly for the screening of passengers arriving from high-risk countries.

"If anybody is found with symptoms of Covid-19, [they] should be quarantined at entry points for monitoring," the statement said, adding that patients with positive test results should be kept in isolation facilities.