PESHAWAR: A sense of fear prevails among Customs officials, clearing agents and bonded carriers, after 23 drivers returning from Afghanistan have tested positive for COVID-19.
An official said these Corona victims had come into contact with several persons, and might have infected others.
The official said that Customs officials, Customs agents and bonded carriers were essential services and they had been doing their job to keep business afloat. However, these very people were at high risk, as Customs had not been provided PPE by government.
The official said there had been no safety and precautionary measures to protect the essential services from the pandemic.
As many as 23 drivers were confirmed coronavirus positive here at a quarantine center of Landi Kotal.
District Health Office (DHO), Khyber, Dr Tariq Hayat, while sharing details on Sunday said that two days back samples of 108 drivers and conductors, who had come from Afghanistan and were quarantined in Landi Kotal, were sent for investigation and now they are tested corona positive.
He added that so far 23 persons out of 108 tests had been detected COVID 19 infected.
An official said now that it was confirmed COVID-19 was present in Afghanistan, authorities would further tighten the movement of cargo vehicles and drivers going and coming from Afghanistan, which further aggravate the transit trade activities between the two countries.