All international passengers arriving in India would have to go for home quarantine for a week and take a test on the eighth day as per the new rules taking effect on Tuesday.
Besides, the number of “At Risk” countries has been increased to 19; nine more have been added since December.
If the passenger tests positive, he would be sent to an isolation facility and their samples will be sent for genome testing.
Passengers seated next to them and cabin crew would be treated as contacts.
If the test is negative, the passengers “will further self-monitor their health for next seven days”, the rules say.
For flights from countries that are not on the “at-risk” list, two per cent of the passengers picked randomly, will be tested on arrival.
The new rules were announced on a day India reported 1,17,100 new cases of Covid – a 28% jump in 24 hours. Cases have gone from 10,000 to more than a lakh in just a week as the virus spreads at an unprecedented pace, driven by the Omicron variant.
Passengers found symptomatic during screening will be isolated and taken to a medical facility. If they test positive, their contacts will be identified.
If travellers under home quarantine or self-health monitoring develop signs and symptoms suggesting Covid or if they test positive on re-testing, they will immediately self-isolate and report to their nearest health facility.
