ISLAMABAD - The government on Tuesday decided to get health declaration form from all passengers entering Pakistan, carrying their travel and medical history.

Passengers on non-compliance of submission of health declaration form will not be allowed for immigration. The government in a statement released yesterday said that the decision has been taken following the directives of Ministry of National Health Services (NHS).

It added that all passengers entering Pakistan shall submit a health declaration form carrying brief details of their travelling history. It said that the authority has made a single amendment in the health declaration form and now it has been made compulsory to submit complete form with all information required.

It said that the flight crew will be responsible for distributing health declaration form amongst all passengers; the passengers will add all relevant information and submit to health staff at airport. The government decided that passengers who failed in submission of health declaration forms will not be allowed for immigration. In the health declaration form the passengers entering Pakistan along with giving their identity details will also inform about their travel history mentioning in which country they travelled and stayed.

Passengers will also inform about their medical history informing about fever, flue, cough and respiratory history. The health declaration form has been divided into three categories including providing demographic information, travel history and health status of the passengers.

In the category of health, the passengers will declare whether they was infected with fever, cough and feeling difficulty in breathing.

In the travel history, the passenger will inform that he/she visited China or Iran in last fourteen days or visited Africa or South America in last five days.

In demographic information, the passenger will inform about his name, contact number in Pakistan, nationality, landing airport and address in Pakistan. 

Meanwhile, in the Emergency Core Group (ECG) meeting presided by Executive Director (ED) National Institute of Health (NIH) Major General Dr. Aamir Ikram said that above 23000 passengers were screened at all entry points during the last 24 hours.

He said that NIH and central health establishment are playing key role in the prevention of COVID-19 and the authority is committed in meeting any kind of emergency situation.

The ECG meeting attended by army representatives reviewed the rapidly changing situation after the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The NIH head said that strict screening is being done on Pak-Iran border.

The ECG monitoring the COVID-19 situation in its earlier meeting reviewed the situation created after the confirmation of COVID-19 cases in all neighboring countries and particularly Iran. Discussing the preparations on the Pak-Iran border, the meeting decided to increase the strength of health staff at the border.

The meeting also decided to send a rapid response force of health to the Pak-Iran border in this regard.

SAPM on NHS Dr. Zafar Mirza said that trained staff is screening all passengers on entry and exit points of the country.