The revised guidelines by the Health Ministry of India states that international travellers testing positive for COVID-19 upon their arrival in India do not need to stay at isolation centres anymore, and more. By Yagnoseni Das
If travellers from any country test positive for COVID-19 upon arrival in India, they will not be kept at an isolation facility anymore, the health ministry stated in its revised guidelines. The person infected will be required to follow the standard guidelines which are to maintain isolation at home. The new COVID-19 guidelines will be in effect from January 22.
Here are a few revised COVID-19 guidelines for international arrivals to India
Thermal screening will be carried out for all the international travellers by the health officials present at the airport. Passengers who are symptomatic will be taken to a medical facility as per health protocol. If tested positive, their contacts shall be identified and managed as per laid down protocol.
Travellers from certain specified countries based on the epidemiological situation of COVID-19 in those countries must abide by following protocols:
- Submission of samples for post-arrival COVID-19 test. The cost for the test will have to be borne by the passengers themselves. Passengers will have to wait at the airport until their test results arrive, before they leave or board a connecting flight.
- If tested negative, passengers will be in home quarantine for seven days and on the eighth day in India, they will have to undergo another RT-PCR test.
- Travellers will also be required to upload the results of this RT-PCR test on the Air Suvidha portal (to be monitored by the respective states/UTs). If tested negative, they will self-monitor their health for the next seven days. But in case they test positive, their samples will be further sent for genomic testing at the INSACOG laboratory network.
- The infected shall be treated and isolated as per the standard protocol. Their contacts will be traced and put under home quarantine, and will be monitored by the concerned state government.
Related: Thailand Is Set To Resume Its ‘Test & Go’ Quarantine Waiver In February
