Govt revises norms for international passengers coming to India
Premium- The central government has also added eight more nations to the list of 'at risk' countries, taking the number to 19
New Delhi: All international inbound passengers will now have to home quarantine for a week, and mandatorily take a covid-19 test on the eighth day, the government said on Friday. Amid the surge in covid cases in the country, the Centre has revised guidelines for international passengers coming to India, effective 11 January.
The central government has also added eight more nations to the list of 'at risk' countries, taking the number to 19. The list comprises the UK and all European countries, besides South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Hong Kong, Israel, Mauritius, New Zealand, Singapore, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Tanzania, Congo, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zambia.
For flights from non-risk countries, 2% of the passengers will be picked up randomly for testing on arrival, the union ministry of health and family welfare said in a statement.
Meanwhile, thermal screening will be carried out at airports for all passengers, and those found to be symptomatic during screening shall be immediately isolated and taken to medical facility as per health protocol, it added.
Passengers coming in from 'at risk' countries will have to undergo covid-19 tests at the point of arrival and would be required to wait for their test results before proceeding further. If tested negative such passengers will have to follow seven-day home quarantine, and take test on the eighth day, which has to be uploaded on Air Suvidha portal.
However, if travelers from at risk countries test positive, their samples will be sent for genomic testing at INSACOG laboratory network, while passengers themselves will be managed at isolation facility and treated as per laid down standard protocol including contact tracing, the health ministry added.
On Friday, India reported 117,100 fresh coronavirus infections, breaching the 100,000-mark for the first time since 7 June 2021, when 100,636 cases were recorded, according to data from the health ministry.
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