Covid test at airport not required for passengers arriving in India from Feb 14

Covid test at airport not required for passengers arriving in India from Feb 14

Passengers arriving in India will no longer have to get tested for Covid-19 at the airport before stepping out and the list of “at-risk” countries has been done away with, according to the government’s revised guidelines for international arrivals announced on Thursday.

The condition of mandatory seven-day home quarantine after arriving in India has also been done away with. Inbound passengers will now have to self-monitor their health for 14 days after entering the country.

The revised guidelines will come into effect on February 14.

“The demarcation of countries ‘at-risk’ and other countries [has been] removed. Accordingly, the need for giving samples on port of arrival and waiting till the result is obtained from countries ‘at-risk’ is dispensed with,” tweeted Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

He also tweeted to confirm the switch to 14 days of self-monitoring post arrival from the earlier mandate of seven-day day home quarantine.

Incoming travellers have been advised that after arriving in India, if they develop signs suggestive of Covid-19, they should immediately self-isolate and report to their nearest health facility, or call the national helpline number 1075 or the relevant state helpline number.

The new guidelines ask those planning to travel to submit a self-declaration form on the “air suvidha” online platform; upload a negative RT-PCR report with the Covid-19 test having been conducted within 72 hours prior to undertaking the journey; and upload a certificate of full vaccination status.

On arrival in India, passengers who are found to be symptomatic of Covid-19 during screening will be isolated and taken to a medical facility as per health protocols.

Also, a section of the inbound fliers - 2% of the total incoming passengers - will have to undergo random testing for the coronavirus disease at the airport post arrival. The random selection will be carried out by the airlines themselves.

Passengers selected for random testing will be allowed to leave the airport after submitting test samples. Those later found positive will be treated as per the standard protocol and their samples will be sent for genomic testing at the INSACOG lab network.

Passengers arriving at international seaports or land ports will also have to undergo the same protocols. However, the facility for online registration is not available for such passengers as of now. “Such travellers shall submit self-declaration forms to the concerned authorities of the Indian government at seaports and land ports on arrival,” read the guidelines.

According to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) guidelines, children under five years of age are exempted from both pre and post-arrival Covid testing. India follows the same protocol. “However, if found symptomatic for Covid-19 on arrival or during the period of self-monitoring period, they shall undergo testing and treated as per protocol,” say the guidelines.

Source: Hindustan Times