Covid-19: India reintroduces mandatory RT PCR tests for international arrivals from five countries

India’s Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has revised the guidelines for international arrivals in “light of the increasing trajectory of Covid-19 cases being noted in some countries across the world”. These came into effect on December 24.

This move followed a high-level meeting chaired by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the country’s top health officials to discuss the matter on December 22.

Chaired a meeting to review the public health response to COVID-19. Stressed on ramping up testing, genome sequencing and to ensure operational readiness of COVID infrastructure. Also emphasised on the need to follow COVID appropriate behaviour. https://t.co/RJpUT9XLiq

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 22, 2022

India has also reintroduced mandatory RT-PCR testing for passengers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand.

Travellers who test positive or display symptoms of Covid-19 will be put under quarantine.

International passengers arriving from the aforementioned countries also have to fill out the Air Suvidha form to declare their current health status.

The revised guidelines include that all travellers should preferably be fully vaccinated as per the approved primary schedule of vaccination against Covid-19 in their country.

Any passenger with symptoms of Covid-19 during travel will be isolated as per standard protocol. The said passenger should be wearing a mask, be isolated and segregated from other passengers in flight/travel and shifted to an isolation facility subsequently for follow-up treatment.

Thermal screening will be carried out by health officials present at the point of entry. Passengers found to be symptomatic during screening shall be immediately isolated, and taken to a designated medical facility as per health protocol.

Post arrival, a sub-section of passengers, which is around 2 per cent of the total passengers on a flight, shall undergo random post-arrival testing at the airport.

Children under 12 years of age are exempted from post-arrival random testing. However, if found symptomatic for Covid-19 on arrival or during the period of self-monitoring period, they will have to undergo testing and be treated as per the laid down protocol.

The Consulate General of India in Dubai also shared the advisory on Twitter.

Latest guidelines for international arrival in India. pic.twitter.com/GBjQPTx64V

— India in Dubai (@cgidubai) December 23, 2022