India updates travel rules for the international travellers
As the Indian Government declared, all international passengers must submit 14 days’ travel history and upload negative Covid test results on the Air Suvidha portal.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) have announced this updated rule.
With the new fears over a new Covid variant, ‘Omicron’, the Government has issued new rules for international travellers arriving in India.
These were announced following a high-level meeting to review public health preparedness with states and UTs.
All international travellers must submit 14 days’ travel history and upload negative Covid test results on the Air Suvidha portal.
Also, the passengers would be required to submit their vaccination certificate, copy of the passport, and their RT-PCR negative test that must be done within 72 hours of departure.
For immigration, a copy received in the e-mail will be essential for travelling in India, which will be verified at the APHO counter. Further, passengers travelling from ‘at-risk’ countries must undergo a test on arrival. The test can be pre-booked by clicking on the testing facility link.
The new travel guidelines are effective from today, December 1, 2021.
As of now, the following steps are to be followed by international passengers travelling to India:
1. Airlines allow boarding to only those travellers who have filled in the Self Declaration Form on the Air Suvidha portal and uploaded the negative RT-PCR test report.
2. All travellers should upload a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report. This test must be conducted within 72 hrs before undertaking the journey.
3. As per the updated list, the countries designated as “at-risk” are the European countries, the UK, South Africa, China, Brazil, Mauritius, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Singapore, and Israel.
4. Passengers travelling or transiting from at-risk countries shall be informed by the airlines that they will undergo post-arrival testing, quarantine if tested harmful, stringent isolation protocols if tested positive
5. Passengers will also undergo RT-PCR tests post-arrival. They will be required to wait for their test results at the arrival airport before leaving or taking a connecting flight.
6. If the passengers test negative, they will follow home quarantine for seven days. Re-test will be conducted on the 8th day of arrival in India, and if negative, further self-monitor of their health for next seven days.
7. However, if such passengers are tested positive, their samples should be sent to the INSACOG laboratory for genomic testing. They shall be managed at a separate isolation facility and treated as per laid down standard protocol, including contact tracing mentioned.
8. The contacts of such positive cases should be kept under institutional quarantine or at home quarantine. They will be strictly monitored by the concerned State Government as per laid down protocol.
9. Travellers from Countries excluding those at risk will be allowed to leave the airport and self-monitor their health for 14 days’ post-arrival.
10. 10) A sub-section (5% of total flight passengers) shall undergo post-arrival testing at random at the airport on arrival.
The Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus has been detected in South Africa and some other countries declared a variant of concern by the World Health Organization.
The Government of India has announced some countries as countries “at-risk”.
The Director-General of Civil Aviation (India) has also announced the postponement of international scheduled commercial flights till January 31.
The civil aviation body also issued a circular regarding the same, stating, “In partial modification of circular published on 26-11-2021, the competent authority has decided to extend the suspension of Scheduled International commercial passenger services to/from India till 2359 hrs of January 31, 2022.”
Reference:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/travel-news/international-scheduled-flights-from-india-postponed-till-january-31/as88191495.cms
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