Beginning January 11, all international travellers —both from at-risk or “not at risk” countries — will have to undergo home quarantine for seven days and will be required to undertake RT-PCR test on the eighth day of arrival in India amid the rising cases of Covid-19 and Omicron scare.
This comes a day after 125 passengers arriving from Italy at Amritsar on chartered flights tested positive.
The Centre on Friday revised the norms for international passengers coming to India and also updated its list of “at-risk” countries which includes countries in Europe, including the UK, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Ghana, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Hong Kong, Israel, Congo, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Nigeria, Tunisia, and Zambia. The countries added to the list include Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tunisia, Zambia, and Kazakhstan.
As per the new norms, international passengers will have to submit a self-declaration form on the online Air Suvidha portal before their scheduled travel, including travel details of the last 14 days.
As per the revised guidelines issued for international passengers, travellers shall also be required to upload results of repeat RT-PCR test for Covid-19 done on eight day on Air Suvidha portal (to be monitored by the respective States/UTs). If report is negative, they will further self-monitor their health for next seven days. However, if such travellers are tested positive, their samples should be further sent for genomic testing at INSACOG laboratory network. These norms will remain effective till further orders.
Previously, travellers coming from countries specified as “at risk” had to submit sample for Covid testing post-arrival and were required to wait for their results at the airport before leaving or taking a connecting flight.
The test should have been conducted within 72 hours prior to undertaking the journey. Each passenger shall also submit a declaration with respect to the authenticity of the report and will be liable for criminal prosecution if found otherwise.
“A sub-section (two per cent of the total flight passengers) shall undergo post-arrival testing at random at the airport on arrival. These two per cent of such travellers in each flight shall be identified by the concerned airlines (preferably from different countries). Laboratories shall prioritise testing of samples from such travellers,” the guidelines said.
International travellers arriving through seaports/land ports will also have to undergo the same protocol. Such travellers shall submit the self-declaration form to the concerned authorities of Government of India at seaports/land ports on arrival.
Passengers coming from or travelling to at-risk countries shall be informed by the airlines that they will undergo post-arrival testing. They will be quarantined if tested negative and will be subjected to stringent isolation protocols if tested positive. Airlines to allow boarding by only those passengers who have filled in all the information in the self-declaration form on the Air Suvidha portal and uploaded the negative RT-PCR test report. At the time of boarding the flight, only asymptomatic travellers will be allowed to board after the thermal screening.
During travel, if any passenger reports symptoms of Covid-19 during flight, s/he shall be isolated as per protocol. Proper in-flight announcements should be made by the airlines regarding the testing requirements and people who need to undergo such testing to avoid any congestion at the arrival airports.
On arrival, if passengers found to be symptomatic during screening shall be immediately isolated and taken to a medical facility as per health protocol. If tested positive, their contacts shall be identified and managed as per laid down protocol.
Children under five years of age are exempted from both pre-and post-arrival testing. However, if found symptomatic for Covid-19 on arrival or during the home quarantine period, they shall undergo testing and be treated as per laid down protocol.