Covid-19: New Travel Guidelines to Combat Omicron Will Come Into Force From Dec 1

Due to the new variant of Covid omicron (B.1.1.529) alarming the world as a whole, Country’s are actually thinking of going into another lockdown to halt the spread of the virus. Countries like India have already started careful monitoring of flights from infected country’s so that they can avert another outbreak.  

South Africa, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, and Israel have all discovered the new version in their respective nations too.  

New Covid-19 guidelines 

The Indian health ministry had advised that international flights resume on December 15, but on Sunday, the government announced fresh instructions for foreign visitors, making the RT-PCR test necessary for individuals arriving from COVID "at-risk" nations. The COVID report must be genuine; if the report is tampered with, the passenger will face criminal charges. Those that test positive will be segregated right away, and their samples will be submitted to the INSACOG laboratory network for additional genetic testing. For individuals who test negative, a seven-day home quarantine is required, followed by a PCR test on the eighth day.

Travellers will also be required to provide travel information over the last 14 days. The ministry's statement said, “A sub-section (5% of total flight passengers) shall undergo post-arrival testing at random at the airport on arrival". After thermal scanning, only asymptomatic passengers will be permitted to board the aeroplane. Aarogya Setu is a must-have app. 

"Travelers from specified countries at risk will follow the protocol as detailed below: Submission of sample for post-arrival COVID-19 test at the point of arrival (self-paid). Such travelers will be required to wait for their test results at the arrival airport before leaving or taking a connecting flight,” reads the statement 

The new rules will come into effect from 1 December until further notice on it is provided.