Highlights
- The new guidelines will come into effect from Monday, February 14: Centre
- Only asymptomatic travellers will be allowed to board
- 2% of passengers shall undergo random post arrival testing: Centre
New Delhi: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) issued revised guidelines for international arrivals on Thursday (February 10). The revised guidelines will come into effect from February 14. According to the Union Health Ministry, the guidelines for international arrivals in India are being formulated by evaluating the risk and monitoring the continuously changing nature of the coronavirus. The Ministry highlighted that the new guidelines have been developed keeping in mind that while monitoring the spread of infection in the country and across the globe is being done, cognizance is also given to the fact that economic activities need to be taken up in an unhindered manner.
The @MoHFW_INDIA has issued revised guidelines for International Arrivals ✈️
Guidelines to come in effect from 14th February.
Follow these diligently, stay safe & strengthen India's hands in the fight against #COVID19.
Main features include:
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— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) February 10, 2022
Also Read: Omicron Is Dominant Covid Variant In India, Says Health Minister
The new guidelines for international arrivals have removed the category of ‘at risk’ countries which was introduced when the Omicron Covid variant emerged last year in December.
Here are 10 rules to be followed by the airports/seaports/land ports and the international travellers arriving in India, as per the new guidelines:
- All foreign arrivals must fill a self-declaration form online (available at the Air Suvidha web portal), including a travel history of the past 14 days.
- Travellers must also upload a negative RT-PCR test that was conducted within 72 hours of the travel date.
- Alternatively, they can also upload a certificate confirming they have received both vaccine doses. This option, however, is only available for passengers arriving from 72 countries whose vaccination programmes the Indian government recognises as part of a reciprocal programme. These countries include Canada, Hong Kong, the United States, the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Qatar, Australia, New Zealand, and some European nations.
- Only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to board.
- Covid-appropriate behaviour, including the use of face masks and practising of social distancing, must be followed during the flight.
- On arrival, in addition to thermal screening, passengers selected at random (up to two per cent of total passengers per flight) will be asked to undergo RT-PCR tests.
- Passengers found to be symptomatic will be immediately quarantined and tested, with contact tracing carried out if they are found to be Covid-positive.
- Instead of seven-day home quarantine as mandated earlier, all travellers will self-monitor their health for 14 days after their arrival
- International travellers arriving through seaports/land ports will also have to undergo the same protocol as above, except that the facility for online registration is not available for such passengers currently.
- Children under five years of age are exempted from both pre- and post-arrival testing. However, if found symptomatic for COVID-19 on arrival or during the period of self-monitoring period, they shall undergo testing and treated as per laid down protocol, the guidelines state.
According to the government, around three-quarters of adults in the country of 1.3 billion people have had one shot and around 30 percent are fully vaccinated. China is the only nation to dish out more vaccine doses than India, having fully inoculated some 1.05 billion, or 75 per cent of its citizens, as of late September.
Also Read: WHO Uses Wordle To Warn People About The COVID-19 Disease Caused By Omicron
NDTV and Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, that is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
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