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Pakistan Halts International Flights to Counter Coronavirus

Ayaz Gul

   ISLAMABAD - Pakistan temporarily halted all international incoming and
   outgoing flights Saturday to try to curtail the spread of coronavirus
   as the national tally of confirmed infections grew to nearly 700,
   including three deaths.
   Top government officials made the announcement at a news conference in
   Islamabad, noting the number of suspected patients had increased to
   more than 4,000 with around 3,400 under quarantine.
   The two-week air traffic suspension covered passenger, charter and
   private flights but not those transporting cargo or diplomats, said
   Moeed Yusuf, an aide to the Pakistani prime minister on national
   security.
   "We are aware of the difficulties this decision will create for roughly
   200,000 passengers, a majority of them Pakistanis, who were due to
   arrive in Pakistan in the next two weeks," Yusuf told reporters in
   Islamabad.
   The government was making tough decisions as part of an all-out effort
   to ensure the safety and security of its people in the face of the
   growing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, he stressed.
   Pakistan says a majority of its confirmed and suspected cases are
   Shiite Muslim nationals who recently traveled to pay homage to
   religious sites in Iran, one of the worst-hit countries.

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