KARACHI: On Thursday, 18,479 international passengers were screened across Pakistan due to a monkeypox scare, according to airport sources.
The screenings covered 135 international flights within 24 hours.
At major airports, the breakdown of screenings was as follows: 4,595 passengers at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, 4,964 at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport, and 4,790 at Islamabad International Airport.
Additionally, Multan Airport screened 1,871 passengers from 14 flights, Sialkot Airport screened 802 from seven flights, Peshawar Airport screened 991, Faisalabad Airport 320, and Quetta Airport 146.
Among the passengers were 32 deportees, none of whom tested positive for monkeypox. The Federal Ministry of Health had issued strict guidelines on August 20 for screening, isolation, and preventive measures at all international airports to address the recent global monkeypox outbreak.
The guidelines include thermal scanning for fever, visual inspections, and symptom checks.
The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) is overseeing the implementation of these measures, ensuring compliance without disrupting airport operations. The Border Health Services (BHS) is managing isolation, transportation of suspected cases, and contact tracing.