Following Islamabad’s victory over the coronavirus, the US revised its COVID-19 travel advisory for Pakistan to the “Level 1” category on Wednesday, according to the State Department’s website.
The State Department made the changes in response to a recommendation from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The body issues travel advisories for various countries in order to educate “travelers and other audiences” about “global health threats” and “advise” them on “how to protect themselves.”
By elevating Pakistan to Level 1, the US acknowledges the country’s COVID-19 prevalence as “low” and advises travelers to ensure they are fully vaccinated before visiting.
The shift in the health threat follows Prime Minister Imran Khan’s decision last month to close the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) following a sharp decline in COVID-19 cases in the country.
“As NCOC winds down, I want to congratulate the NCOC team and leadership on a professional, nationally coordinated response to the pandemic,” PM said on Twitter. As a result, international agencies and field personnel recognized our COVID response as one of the most successful on a global scale.”
Pakistan eliminates all COVID-19 restrictions
Asad Umar, the Federal Minister for Planning and Development and Special Initiatives had previously announced that the government would abolish all COVID-19-related restrictions in Pakistan.
“The pandemic has not yet ended but is in the final stages,” Umar stated during a press conference at NCOC, flanked by SAPM on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan.
Umar, who is also the NCOC chief, stated that after a thorough review of the country’s COVID-19 situation, the forum decided to lift all coronavirus restrictions, including protocols for indoor dining, indoor wedding events, and markets, sports activities, and all other SOPs.
He had stated, however, that the only restriction that would remain in place is vaccination against COVID-19, but only until the vaccination rate reaches 80% or greater.
“Then we’ll decide whether the vaccination restriction should remain in place,” he had stated.
