The Union Health Ministry on Sunday revised guidelines mandating that all international passengers entering India have to submit 14-day travel details and upload a negative RT-PCR test report on the Air Suvidha portal before the journey. The new guidelines will come into effect from December 1.
The RT-PCR report to be uploaded should have been conducted within 72 hours prior to the journey.
Travellers from “countries at-risk”, including the U.K., South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel, will need to take the COVID test post-arrival and wait for results at the airport, according to the guidelines. If tested negative, they have to undergo home quarantine for seven days followed by a re-test on the eighth day.
“On arrival, the passengers found to be symptomatic during screening shall be immediately isolated and taken to medical facility as per health protocol. If tested positive, their contacts shall be identified and managed as per laid down protocol,” said the updated guidelines.
Travellers from countries not considered ‘at risk’ will be allowed to leave the airport and must self-monitor their health for 14 days post arrival. A sub-section (5% of the total flight passengers) will be required to undergo post-arrival testing at random at the airport.
The guidelines have also stated that children under five years of age are exempted from pre- and post-arrival testing. However, if found symptomatic on arrival or during home quarantine, they shall undergo testing and treated as per protocol.
Contacts of the suspect case are the co-passengers seated in the same row, three rows in front and three rows behind along with identified cabin crew. Also, all the community contacts of those travellers who have tested positive (during home quarantine period) would be subjected to quarantine for 14 days and tested as per government protocol.
Earlier the Central Government in a release issued following a meeting chaired by Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, said it will review “the decision on effective date of resumption of scheduled commercial international passengers service as per evolving global scenario while keeping a closer watch on emerging pandemic situation within the country.”
Travellers from “countries at-risk”, including the U.K., South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel, will need to take the COVID test post-arrival and wait for results at the airport, according to the guidelines. If tested negative, they have to undergo home quarantine for seven days followed by a re-test on the eighth day.
“On arrival, the passengers found to be symptomatic during screening shall be immediately isolated and taken to medical facility as per health protocol. If tested positive, their contacts shall be identified and managed as per laid down protocol,” said the updated guidelines.
Travellers from countries not considered ‘at risk’ will be allowed to leave the airport and must self-monitor their health for 14 days post arrival. A sub-section (5% of the total flight passengers) will be required to undergo post-arrival testing at random at the airport.
The guidelines have also stated that children under five years of age are exempted from pre- and post-arrival testing. However, if found symptomatic on arrival or during home quarantine, they shall undergo testing and treated as per protocol.
Contacts of the suspect case are the co-passengers seated in the same row, three rows in front and three rows behind along with identified cabin crew. Also, all the community contacts of those travellers who have tested positive (during home quarantine period) would be subjected to quarantine for 14 days and tested as per government protocol.
Earlier the Central Government in a release issued following a meeting chaired by Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, said it will review “the decision on effective date of resumption of scheduled commercial international passengers service as per evolving global scenario while keeping a closer watch on emerging pandemic situation within the country.”
