All inbound travellers coming into India will have to mandatorily isolate themselves at home for seven days, according to the latest update by the Union Health Ministry. The weekly home quarantine will be followed by an RT-PCR test on the eighth day. The guidelines came into effective from January 11 and will remain effective till further government orders.
As per the existing rules, travellers coming from countries specified as “at-risk” have to submit samples for Covid-19 testing on arrival and then are required to wait for the results at the airport before leaving or taking a connecting flight. Those who test positive will be sent to an isolation facility.
If they test negative, they need to undergo home quarantine for seven days and then get the RT-PCR test done on the 8th day. If again negative, they have to further self-monitor their health for the next seven days. Furthermore, they must upload the results of the RT-PCR test conducted on the 8th day on the Air Suvidha portal.
Children under 5 are exempted from both pre-and post-arrival testing. However, if found symptomatic for COVID-19 on arrival or during the home quarantine period, they shall undergo testing and be treated according to the laid down protocol.
Prior to undertaking the journey, all travellers will have to upload a negative RT-PCR report of the test conducted within 72 hours of the beginning of the journey.
Each passenger shall also submit a declaration with respect to the authenticity of the report and will be liable for a criminal prosecution, if found otherwise, according to the guidelines.
The at-risk countries include the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Ghana, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Hong Kong, Israel, Congo, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Nigeria, Tunisia and Zambia.
