Coronavirus: UAE suspends all flights arriving from Pakistan

The decision by the General Civil Aviation Authority was effective as of Monday

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. 18 June 2020. 
Pakistani citizens who live in Dubai line up outside Dnata. They’ve received a confirmation call from the consulate regarding their repatriation flights. Some are flying back tonight.
(Photo: Reem Mohammed/The National)

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The UAE suspended all flights arriving from Pakistan amid a surge in Covid-19 cases in the country.

The decision by the General Civil Aviation Authority was effective as of Monday, according to a statement on state news agency Wam.

Emirates Airline suspended services from Pakistan last week when 26 passengers on a transit flight to Hong Kong via Dubai tested positive for the virus.

A rise in coronavirus cases across Pakistan has overwhelmed some hospitals, leading them to turn away patients.

Infections started to surge after Prime Minister Imran Khan lifted a lockdown, saying it was necessary to save the economy.

On Monday, health authorities announced 3,557 new Covid-19 cases and 49 deaths as a result of the virus.

It brings the tally to 206,512 confirmed infections and 4,167 deaths.

The country has started producing its own ventilators to keep pace with demand.

On Sunday, Pakistan's Consul General in Dubai Ahmed Amjad Ali said the campaign to repatriate its citizens from the UAE had been completed, with more 60,000 residents having left the country since March.