KARACHI  -  In response to the escalating surge of the latest Omicron subvariant of COVID-19 cases globally, the authorities have strict screening of interna­tional passengers at airports.

According to an official statement, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has implemented mea­sures to test two percent of passengers on all in­ternational flights.

Following the directives of the National Com­mand and Operation Center (NCOC), the CAA spokesperson confirmed that the authorities have initiated comprehensive corona screening for passengers at all major airports in the coun­try. The CAA spokesperson stated that two per­cent of the passengers from each flight will un­dergo a rapid antigen test, while the fumigation in passenger lounges will be conducted at least once a day, as directed by the NCOC.

The spokesperson added that the Border Health Services officials at the airports were in­structed to provide all the possible support to the passengers.

Last year, World Health Organization (WHO) officials recommended that passengers wear masks on long-haul flights after the surge of the latest Omicron subvariant of COVID-19 in the United States.

In Europe, the XBB.1.5 subvariant was detect­ed in small but growing numbers, WHO and Eu­rope officials said at a press briefing.

Passengers should be advised to wear masks in high-risk settings such as long-haul flights, said the WHO’s senior emergency officer for Europe, Catherine Smallwood, adding: “This should be a recommendation issued to passengers arriving from anywhere where there is widespread CO­VID-19 transmission”.

XBB.1.5 – the most transmissible Omicron sub­variant detected so far – accounted for 27.6% of COVID-19 cases in the United States for the week ended Jan 7, health officials have said.