The special assistant to the prime minister on national security Dr Moeed Yusuf on Sunday advised expatriate Pakistanis against returning to the country due to COVID-19 pandemic, which killed three people, left over 600 infected and disrupted international flights.
Speaking at a presser along with adviser to the prime minister on health Dr Zafar Mirza, he said that overseas Pakistanis should not return to Pakistan for two weeks as this is the time we all must play our due role as responsible citizens.
Yusuf said that the country's airspace will remain shut for international flights till April 4, 2020, adding the suspension of international flights came into effect at 8pm last night and would remain so till 8pm, April 4.
"Some passengers who initiated their travel and started to move to Pakistan are now [stuck] in transit in some countries" - namely the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Thailand, and Turkey. The government, Yusuf added, was in touch with all relevant airlines, authorities, and officials of those countries' governments and working with on a solution for those stuck in transit and would likely clarify "in a few hours".
"We are constantly working and in touch with all officials," he said. "Those who were coming to Pakistan will come to Pakistan and those who wish to return to their [point of] origin will be facilitated" as such. "Our embassies are in touch with them and the provisions, as much as is possible, will be provided. I want to personally appeal, I'm requesting that - see, we announced a suspension yesterday - so, regardless of whether an airline tells you [they're operating] or you have an emergency, please understand that and do not go to airports, do not board planes, wherever you are.
"Most of these passengers do not have a coronavirus [test result] certificate. We started bringing into effect the certificate requirement yesterday and it was announced last week.
"They are our passengers and we're making arrangements but please follow that country's regulations, laws, and advice, so that we are able prepare in these two weeks a system to ensure that the [corona] virus does not spread here," Yusuf added.
He said the government was working on a special screening system to make sure anyone arriving into Pakistan from abroad was safe from the virus and did not end up spreading it in the country.
"I would request that it is not possible for the government to create a provision for those stuck in transit and please do not take a flight to Pakistan.
"We will take measures to ensure that virus does not travel through the airports. Till April 4, the Pakistani airspace will remain closed," he added. Dr Zafar Mirza said that there was no evidence that using chloroquine was effective in preventing one from coronavirus but that the government was consulting experts in this regard.
He said that reports were rife these days that chloroquine could be used to treat coronavirus. "We are consulting experts on whether chloroquine can be used to treat the [corona] virus," he said.
However, there was no evidence yet that using chloroquine would prevent one from getting coronavirus, the special assistant told the media, adding there was a ban on the export of anti-malaria drug and that Pakistan had ample stock of chloroquine.
Dr Mirza also clarified the number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan and explained the province-wide breakdown. "The suspected coronavirus cases total 5,650, whereas the confirmed are 646. Three people have died of coronavirus so far.
"Sindh has 292 cases, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 31, Gilgit-Baltistan 55, Azad Jammu and Kashmir one, Islamabad Capital Territory 11, Punjab 152, and Balochistan 104," he added. He said that the data was "compiled through extremely reliable monitoring" and that it would be updated on the government's website on an hourly basis. "We will train 5,000 doctors to treat coronavirus," he added.