All international passengers will now have follow mandatory home quarantine for a week on arrival in India, the Ministry of Health said today in it’s revised travel guidelines following the surge in COVID-19 cases across country.
Travellers from specified countries at risk will have to submit samples for Covid testing at arrival. Passengers will be required to wait for their test results at the arrival airport before leaving or taking a connecting flight.
Passengers who test negative will have to quarantine at home for seven days and will have to undergo an RT-PCR test on the eighth day of their arrival.
Travellers will have to upload their repeat RT-PCR test for COVID-19 done on eight day on Air Suvidha portal (to be monitored by the respective States/UTs). If negative, they will further self-monitor their health for next 7 days.
However, if such travellers are tested positive, their samples should be further sent for genomic testing at INSACOG laboratory network. They shall be managed at isolation facility and treated as per laid down standard protocol including contact tracing mentioned. The contacts of such positive case should be kept under home quarantine monitored strictly by the concerned State Government as per laid down protocol.
If travellers under home quarantine or self-health monitoring, develop signs and symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 or test positive for COVID-19 on re-testing, they will immediately selfisolate and report to their nearest health facility or call National helpline number (1075)/ State Helpline Number.
Children under 5 years of age are exempted from both pre- and post-arrival testing. However, if found symptomatic for COVID-19 on arrival or during home quarantine period, they shall undergo testing and treated as per laid down protocol.
Contacts of the suspect case are the co-passengers seated in the same row, 3 rows in front and 3 rows behind along with identified Cabin Crew. Also, all the community contacts of those travelers who have tested positive (during home quarantine period) would be subjected to quarantine for 14 days and tested as per ICMR protocol.