KOLKATA: Swab collection for RT-PCR test of 543 international passengers who reached Kolkata from Doha and Dubai in four flights were conducted at the city airport on Tuesday. There was no information about any of the flyers testing positive till late on Tuesday, said an airport official.
Following the new SOP issued by the health and family welfare ministry to check the spread of the new Covid-19 strains, all passengers arriving from Gulf nations will have to undergo Covid test at the Kolkata airport.
“Swabs of all the incoming flyers from Doha and Dubai were collected at the airport. The flyers were allowed to proceed to their destination after the swab test and the result will be sent to them online. If anyone tests positive, they need to be isolated and admitted to a healthcare facility,” said a senior airport official.
From Tuesday, swab collection was revived at the airport exactly after two months since it had stopped with the stoppage of the Kolkata-London flight. The first flight passengers to undergo the test were from Doha on board a Qatar airlines flight at 1.50am. The last flight to reach was from Dubai at 9.20pm.
Private diagnostic centres Suraksha and Dr Lal’s Path Lab will continue to collect the swabs at the airport till HLL Lifecare sets up a high-tech laboratory at the old domestic terminal early next month.