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New India travel rule: Some passengers may now take Covid-19 test upon arrival at airport

Dubai - The Indian ministry issued the latest guidelines on November 5, superseding the rules set on August 2.

India-bound travellers — who are seeking exemption from institutional quarantine but do not have a negative PCR Covid-19 test report at hand — may now take the test upon their arrival at the airport, according to the new guidelines of the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. However, not all airports in India have this testing facility.

Passengers who will be arriving without a negative RT-PCR test report and do not have the option to get screened at the airport will have to undergo seven days of institutional quarantine and seven days of home quarantine. The Indian ministry issued the latest guidelines on November 5, superseding the rules set on August 2.

To apply for exemption from institutional quarantine in India, passengers can submit a negative PCR test result online (ww.newdelhiairport.in) at least 72 hours before boarding. They may also cite compelling reasons such as regnancy, death in family, serious illness and parent(s) with children of the age of ten years or below.

“The test report should be uploaded on the portal for consideration. Each passenger shall also submit a declaration with respect to authenticity of the report and will be liable for criminal prosecution, if found otherwise,” said the ministry.

“They should also give an undertaking on the portal or otherwise to Ministry of Civil Aviation, Govt. of India, through concerned airlines before they are allowed to undertake the journey that they would abide by the decision of the appropriate government authority to undergo facility or home quarantine or self-monitoring of their health for 14 days, or as warranted,” the guidelines added.

The self-declaration form can be uploaded on the online portal (www.newdelhiairport.in) at least 72 hours before the scheduled travel or submitted upon arrival at the respective health counters.

Travelling to India soon? Here are some things to know before your flight

• A list of dos and don’ts will be provided by your airline/agency

• All passengers shall be advised to download Aarogya Setu app

• At the time of boarding the flight, only asymptomatic travellers will be allowed to board after thermal screening

• Suitable precautionary measures such as environmental sanitation and disinfection shall be ensured at the airports

• During boarding, physical distancing must be ensured.

During your trip

• Travellers who had not filled in self-declaration form on the portal shall fill the same in duplicate in the flight and a copy of the same will be given to Health and Immigration officials present at the airport.

• Announcement about Covid-19, including precautionary measures, will be made at airports, in flights and during transit.

• While on board the flight, required precautions such as wearing of masks, environmental hygiene, respiratory hygiene, hand hygiene etc. are to be observed by airline staff, crew and all passengers.

Upon arrival in India

1. The passengers found to be symptomatic during screening shall be immediately isolated and taken to medical facility as per health protocol.

2. Post thermal screening, the passengers who have been exempted from institutional quarantine will show the same to the respective State Counters on their cell phones/other mode before being allowed home quarantine for 14 days.

3. Post thermal screening, the passengers who have RT-PCR negative certificates already with them shall be exempt from quarantine and shall be allowed to leave and undertake self-monitoring of their health for 14 days.

4. All such passengers will also be provided the list of the national and state level surveillance officers and the respective call centre numbers, so as to inform state/national Call Centre in case they develop symptoms at any time during the quarantine or self-monitoring of their health.

5. The remaining passengers shall be taken to suitable institutional quarantine facilities, to be arranged by the respective State/ UT Governments to undergo mandatory seven days’ institutional quarantine and seven days’ home quarantine.

6. These passengers shall be kept under institutional quarantine for a minimum period of seven days. They shall be tested as per ICMR protocol. If they are assessed as asymptomatic / pre-symptomatic/ very mild cases, they will be allowed home isolation or isolated in the COVID-19 Care Centre (both public and private facilities) as appropriate. Those having mild/ moderate/ severe symptoms will be admitted to dedicated COVID-19 Health facilities and managed accordingly. If found negative, they shall be advised to self-monitor their health for additional seven days.