Health Ministry issues new guidelines for international arrivals

Bindulal

AIRHealth Ministry has issued new guidelines for international arrivals. Before planning for travel, all travelers should submit self-declaration form on the online portal www.newdelhiairport.in at least 72 hours before the scheduled travel or physically after arrival at the respective health counters.

They should also give an undertaking 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. Home quarantine may be permitted for 14 days only for compelling reasons such as pregnancy, death in family, serious illness and parents with children of the age of 10 years or below.

Travellers may also seek exemption from institutional quarantine by submitting a negative RT-PCR test report. This test should have been conducted within 72 hours prior to undertaking the journey. International passengers arriving without an RT-PCR negative certificate and wishing to seek exemption from institutional quarantine may also avail the facility available at the airports to undergo RT-PCR testing. International passengers arriving without RT-PCR negative certificate and not opting for RT PCR test at airport will have to undergo mandatory 7 days’ institutional quarantine and 7 days’ home quarantine.

On arrival, the passengers found to be symptomatic during screening shall be immediately isolated and taken to medical facility as per health protocol. States can have any additional restrictions imposed with regards to quarantine and isolation as per their field assessment post arrival of passengers in the state concerned.