India Sounds Omicron Alert, Imposes New Rules For International Arrivals From 'At Risk' Nations
With the threat of the 'highly transmissible' Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 looming large, the Government of India's new guidelines for international travellers is set to kick in starting Wednesday.
Several airports across the country, including the ones in Delhi and Mumbai, have imposed new restrictions for international passengers travelling from 'at risk' countries across the world.
List of countries 'at risk'
On Saturday, the Centre listed a number of countries in the 'at risk' category. These include South Africa, China, Botswana, those in Europe including the UK, Brazil, Israel, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Israel and Hong Kong.
Guidelines for international passengers
As per the guidelines, the passengers are required to submit 14 days' travel details and also upload a negative RT-PCR test report on the Air Suvidha portal before the journey.?The guidelines also specify stringent screening for travellers entering India from any of 'at risk' countries.
All international travellers arriving in India will be required to fill a self-declaration form (SDF) and share a copy of their negative RT-PCR test reports with the airlines before boarding the aircraft.
Travellers from 'countries at-risk' will need to take Covid test post arrival and wait for the results at the airport. If tested negative, they'll follow home quarantine for seven days.A re-test on the 8th day and, if negative, further self-monitor for the next seven days.
Travellers who test positive upon arrival will be escorted to a separate isolation facility. Their samples will be sent for genome sequencing as they undergo treatment.
Rules for those from countries not on the list
For those with a travel history of countries other than the ones listed as 'at risk' countries, 2 per cent of such travellers will be subjected to random Covid-19 testing upon arrival. Others will be allowed to leave the airport and should self-monitor their health for 14 days.
Maharashtra govt's rules
The Maharashtra government said that all international travellers arriving from "at-risk" countries will have to undergo a mandatory seven-day institutional quarantine and take RT-PCR tests for Covid-19 thrice: on the second, fourth, and seventh days of their arrival.
Such passengers will also undergo RT-PCR test on second, fourth and seventh day of arrival, the authority said in its latest guidelines. If a passenger is found to be positive, he or she will be shifted to a hospital.
Meanwhile, six international passengers from 'countries at-risk', meanwhile, tested Covid-19 positive in Maharashtra, authorities said. Their samples have been sent for genome sequencing to ascertain whether they are Omicron variant or not.
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