UP: Quarantine rules eased for inbound travellers

LUCKNOW/GHAZIABAD: In a major relief for those coming from abroad, the Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday announced relaxation in rules. Now, all international travellers, who don't have any Covid-19 symptoms and are returning to the state, will have the option of uploading their negative RT-PCR report on the New Delhi airport website and avoid the seven-day mandatory institutional quarantine. Such persons would, however, need to remain in home quarantine for seven days.
Till now, all international travellers had to mandatorily undergo 14-day quarantine — seven days in institutional or paid quarantine and another seven at home.

The rules have also been changed for domiciles travelling from UP to other states for the purpose of work for up to five days.
“People found to be symptomatic will have to stay in home isolation and undergo Covid-19 testing as per protocol. If found positive, they will have to be admitted to the hospital,” additional chief secretary, health and family welfare, Amit Mohan Prasad, said, adding that the new guidelines were adopted following changes in the Union health ministry rules.
For travellers returning to India who want to present a negative Covid report, the RT-PCR test must be held not more than 96 hours before the start of the journey. The report and the e-declaration can be posted on www.newdelhiairport.in 72 hours prior to the journey.
Prasad said there are exemptions for some international travellers, including pregnant women, those who have come because of a death in the family, those suffering with serious medical conditions and people whose children are below 10 years of age.
If they don’t have a Covid-negative report, travellers in these categories can undergo 14-day home quarantine instead of institutional or paid quarantine. However, in case of any false information or anomaly, the person will be liable to prosecution, said Ghaziabad chief medical officer NK Gupta.
Those who are not in exempted categories or haven’t produced a negative report, however, will have to follow the previous protocol. “Any symptomatic person will be isolated immediately and tested as per ICMR-recommended methods for Covid-19 upon arrival. Also, anyone under quarantine will have to immediately report to the district CMO in case they develop any kind of symptoms,” Prasad said.
Gupta added that the revision in guidelines, in the case of domestic travellers, was for those visiting the state for less than five days. “According to the old guidelines, it was seven days but as per revised guidelines it has been reduced to five days,” said Gupta.
In Ghaziabad, 29 foreign travellers are currently under institutional quarantine and another 108 under home quarantine.