The Latest: Pakistan restricts border travel to fight virus

Pakistan’s coronavirus control agency has decided to temporarily restrict the country’s borders to people coming in from Afghanistan and Iran

ISLAMABAD---- Pakistan’s national body to control coronavirus decided Sunday to temporarily restrict the country's borders to people coming in from Afghanistan and Iran. Inbound pedestrian movement from those two countries will halt at midnight May 4 until May 20 with the exception of Pakistani citizens in Afghanistan and Iran who want to return home and extreme medical emergency cases. The development comes after Pakistan reported another 113 deaths and 4,414 new cases amid the third wave of the virus, taking the country’s death tally to 18,070. Authorities said the decision aimed to limit the spread of new COVID-19 variants. It said border terminals with both the countries will remain open seven days a week with increased health staff and there will be no restrictions on outbound passengers or cargo movement.