karachi pakistans aviation regulator has made masks mandatory on domestic flights given a gradual rise in the number of covid19 cases across the country it said a statementthe order comes a day after pakistans biggest city karachi reported that its covid19 positivity ratio or the rate of positive cases out of all tests conducted rose to 21 compared with a national rate of 28with immediate effect mask wearing will be mandatory onboard domestic flights the pakistan civil aviation authority pcaa said in the statement late on sundaypakistan has had very few covid cases over recent months and had done away with almost all precautionsbut over the past 24 hours the national covid positivity ratio had risen to 285 with 382 positive cases and two deaths according to data released on monday by the national institute of health islamabad niha month ago the positivity ratio was 054 with 79 positive cases and no deaths according to the nih 85 of eligible pakistanis have been fully vaccinated against covidpakistan disbanded the national command and operations center which was overseeing the covid response on march 31 as infections fell to the lowest since the outbreak began in 2020