Daily Times

Punjab Health Minister Yasmin Rashid has confirmed that two pilots of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) have tested positive for coronavirus.

Yasmin Rashid told media today (Monday) that the coronavirus tests of two PIA pilots and three other members of the crew on a flight that recently flew back from Canada were carried out.

She further said that two pilots have contracted the virus and have been shifted to a private hospital in Lahore for treatment. The health minister also assured that the condition of the pilots was getting better.

Yasmin Rashied said, “The other three crew members have been told to self-isolate themselves in line with international protocols on the virus.”

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had on Sunday suspended its operations from Karachi, rejecting reports that its pilots from a flight from Britain had contracted the coronavirus.

In a statement issued Sunday, the national carrier clarified its views on quarantining its aviation staff in Karachi. “The PIA is strictly abiding by the instructions issued by the Government of Pakistan,” its spokesperson Abdullah Khan said.

The spokesperson mentioned that the national carrier was constantly in contact with top officials and that reports about its airplane crew contracting coronavirus were misleading.

The Pakistan Airline Pilots’ Association (PALPA), an organisation to protect the rights of the national carrier’s pilots, has told pilots not to fly planes, putting ongoing flight operations at risk of suspension.