Pakistan bans passengers from India after coronavirus cases spike

Islamabad: The National Command and Control Centre (NCOC) on Monday decided to ban passengers coming into the country from India, after coronavirus cases in the neighbouring country witnessed a spike.

The NCOC, in a statement, said the decision was taken during a meeting with the Federal Minister for Planning and Development and NCOC head Asad Umar in the chair.

The restriction has been imposed on travellers coming from India both via road and air, the NCOC said, adding that the nuclear neighbour has been placed on Category C for two weeks — a category for countries whose passengers cannot travel to Pakistan.

“The meeting was briefed on the coronavirus variant [….] the new variant is the reason behind the spread of coronavirus in India,” the statement said.

The NCOC will convene a meeting on April 21 to review the countries placed on Category C, the statement added.

India has reported a record rise in coronavirus infections of 273,810, with 15 million total cases across the country on Monday. (Agency)