ISLAMABAD: Officials of the High Commission of India in Islamabad along with their family members have been placed under quarantine after one of them tested positive for Covid-19 following their arrival in Pakistan, according to officials.
In a statement, Foreign Office spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said that a group of 12 High Commission officials and their family members crossed over to Pakistan via the Wagah border on May 22, The Express Tribune reported on Monday.
Chaudhri added that although the 12 people carried negative PCR reports, "the spouse of one official tested positive after a rapid antigen test was conducted by Pakistani health officials".
Following the detection of the positive case, the National Command and Control Centre (NCOC)advised all 12 officials and their family members along with the driver of the vehicle to undergo the mandatory quarantine.
"As per the standard operating procedures (SOPs) agreed between the two countries, if a member of the diplomatic staff or their associates test positive for Covid-19, he/she will be quarantined in the same country instead of being sent back, " diplomatic sources told The Express Tribune.
As of Monday, Pakistan has reported a total of 903, 599 coronavirus cases and 20, 308 deaths, while India's overall infection tally and fatality toll stood at 26, 752, 447 and 303, 720, respectively.