Post-arrival tests mandatory for passengers from UK, South Africa, Hong Kong, other at-risk nations: Govt

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 28

The government late Sunday issued fresh international travel guidelines saying passengers from countries at risk of Covid would have to subject themselves to post-arrival testing and additional Covid protocols in the wake of new Omicron threat.

The Health Ministry issued new guidelines mentioning the following among at risk countries — countries in Europe, including UK, South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel.

In the new guidelines, the ministry said that travellers from specified countries at will need to submit their sample for post-arrival Covid-19 test at the point of arrival (self-paid).

“Such travellers will be required to wait for their test results at the arrival airport before leaving or taking a connecting flight. If tested negative they will follow, home quarantine for seven days, re-test on the 8th day of arrival in India and if negative, further self-monitor their health for next seven days. However, if such travellers are tested positive, their samples should be sent for genomic testing at INSACOG laboratory network,” the guidelines said.

The ministry said incoming passengers from at risk nations shall be managed at separate isolation facility and treated as per laid down standard protocol including contact tracing.

“The contacts of such positive cases should be kept under institutional quarantine or at home quarantine monitored strictly by the concerned state government as per laid down protocol. Travellers from countries excluding those countries at risk, will be allowed to leave the airport and shall self-monitor their health for 14 days’ post arrival. A sub-section (5 per cent of the total flight passengers) shall undergo post-arrival testing at random at the airport on arrival. The five per cent of such travellers in each flight shall be identified by the concerned airlines (preferably from different countries),” said the ministry.

It said children under 5 years of age are exempted from both pre- and post-arrival testing. However, if found symptomatic for Covid-19 on arrival or during home quarantine period, they shall undergo testing and treated as per laid down protocol.