All international arrivals will undergo a seven-day mandatory home quarantine from Tuesday, according to the Centre’s updated rules. The Union Health Ministry had issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) which will be valid from January 11 for all international travellers from all points of entry (airports, seaports and land border.
All travellers should: submit complete information in self-declaration form on the online Air Travel Suvidha portal before the scheduled travel including last 14 days travel details; upload a negative RT-PCR report conducted within 72 hours of prior to the journey; submit a declaration with respect to the authenticity of the report (liable for criminal prosecution).
The travellers are also required to submit an undertaking on the portal or otherwise to the Ministry of Civil Aviation through concerned airlines before the scheduled travel for agreeing to undergo home/institutional quarantine/self-health monitoring.
(Image: Health Ministry)
Travellers from At-Risk Countries
Protocols for travellers from countries identified as “at-risk” will continue and all those who are required to be tested on arrival should preferably pre-book the test online on the Air Suvidha portal, to facilitate timely testing.
The updated list of ‘at-risk’ countries are: Countries in Europe including The United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong, Israel, Tanzania, Ghana, Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Nigeria, Tunisia and Zambia.
Travellers from ‘at-risk’ countries will also be required to submit samples for post-arrival Covid test (self paid) and wait for the test result at the airport before leaving or taking connecting flight.
If tested negative, these travellers will follow home quarantine for seven days and shall undertake RT-PCR test on the eighth day of arrival in India. The result of the test shall be required to be uploaded in Air Suvidha portal, subject to monitoring by states/UTs. Self monitoring will also be required for the next seven days.
If found positive, their samples should be further sent for genomic testing at the INSACOG laboratory network. They shall be managed at isolation facility and treated. The contacts of such positive cases should be kept under home quarantine.
On Arrival
At the time of boarding the flight, only asymptomatic travellers will be allowed to board after thermal screening, the statement said. If any passenger reports symptoms of Covid-19 during flight, he/she shall be isolated as per protocol. (These include co-passengers seated in the same row, 3 rows ahead and 3 rows behind)
On arrival, de-boarding shall be done ensuring physical distancing and thermal screening will be carried out by health officials at the airport. The copy of self declaration form submitted online will be showed on arrival to concerned authorities.
Passengers found to be asymptomatic shall be immediately isolated, taken to the medical facility as per protocol. Two percent of the total flight passengers will undergo testing at random on arrival. The samples of these random testing will be prioritized by laboratories.
All passengers will be required to undergo home quarantine for seven days and undergo testing on eight day of arrival to India and the results shall be uploaded to Air Suvidha portal. If found positive, samples should be further sent for genomic testing.
Those who test positive on re-testing or show symptoms during home quarantine should immediately self isolate and inform their nearest health facility or call National helpline number 1075/state helpline number.
Children under five years of age are exempted from both pre and post arrival testing. However if found positive during isolation/quarantine, they shall undergo testing and treatment.
Passengers arriving through seasports/ land borders will also be required to follow the same protocols. However, the self-declaration form for such passengers will be required to be submitted to concerned authorities on arrival in India.
India recorded above one lakh after 214 days, taking India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,52,26,386 which includes 3,007 cases of Omicron reported across 27 states and UTs, according to the Union Health Ministry data.
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