New Delhi: Health authorities in Pakistan are ill-prepared to stop the arrival of the new variant of the COVID-19, which is wreaking havoc in China, from entering the nation, media reports said.

Even though the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) claimed that the situation was being closely monitored, there have been no measures at airports, such as rapid testing and screening of inbound travellers, to detect positive cases of Covid-19, reports Dawn News.

NCOC member Dr Shahzad Ali Khan told the newspaper that it was yet to be seen how new variants would behave in Pakistan since “viruses behave differently in different environments”.

“We have been closely observing the situation. It is a fact that a sudden spread [of Covid-19] has been observed in China because there were strict restrictions in place and an abrupt removal of these curbs allowed the virus to spread,” he said.

“New variants may disturb those who are not inoculated, so I would urge people to get vaccinated and get booster shots. Although NCOC has not issued any guidelines, I would advise people that they should avoid social gatherings for some days,” he said.