Omicron Virus: Travelers from ‘at-risk’ nations must follow new COVID guidelines in India.
The Union Health Ministry of India updated criteria for international arrivals in India on Sunday, effective December 1, in response to mounting worries about the Omicron strain of COVID-19.
Many countries rushed to impose travel restrictions owing to the Omicron variant, and now the Indian government has instructed all states and union territories to maintain active surveillance, expedite testing, and boost vaccination coverage.
Passengers are required to submit a self-declaration form on the online Air Suvidha Portal before scheduled travel, as well as the previous 14 days’ trip details, according to the new Centre-imposed requirements.
Travelers from “at-risk nations” must take the COVID-19 test after arrival and wait for results at the airport, according to the Health Ministry’s rules.
Take a look at the list of ‘AT-RISK’ countries in India, where passengers must follow to new COVID guidelines
- All countries in Europe including the United Kingdom
2. South Africa
3. Brazil
4. Bangladesh
5. Hong Kong
6. Singapore
7. New Zealand
8. Zimbabwe
9. China
10. Botswana
11. Israel
12. Mauritius
The mandate of RT-PCR of Travelers:
Negative RT-PCR test results have to be uploaded to the Air Suvidha portal before the trip, according to Health Ministry guidelines. The test should have been completed within 72 hours of leaving for the trip.
If they test negative, they will be placed in a seven-day home quarantine. They must repeat the test after eight days, and if the results are negative, they must continue to self-monitor for the next seven days.
At the airport on arrival, a small set of passengers (5 percent of the total flight passengers) will be subjected to post-arrival testing.
The previous guidelines have been updated in light of the World Health Organization’s classification of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.1.529; dubbed Omicron) as a Variant of Concern. The travel guidelines were announced shortly after the federal government requested that all state and local governments conduct “rigorous screening and testing” of all international travelers.
