Vaccinated travelers from countries that have reciprocal arrangements with India that mutually accept the Covid-19 vaccine approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) should be allowed to leave the airport without home quarantine and testing from Monday, according to the release on Wednesday The revised international entry guide.
However, they will have to provide a negative Covid-19 RT-PCR report. The Union Health Minister stated that these international entry guidelines supersede all other guidelines issued on and after February 17 this year. “The global trajectory of the Covid-19 pandemic continues to decline, with some regional differences. The monitoring of the changing nature of the virus and the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) must remain concerned,” the ministry said.
“The existing guidelines for international arrivals in India (issued on February 17, 2021 with subsequent appendices) were developed using a risk-based approach. Given the increase in global vaccination coverage and the changing nature of the pandemic, Reviewed India’s existing international entry guidelines,” it added.
View the latest SOP here:
1. If partially or not vaccinated, travelers need to take measures, including submitting a post-arrival Covid-19 test sample at the place of arrival, after which they will be allowed to leave the airport, stay at home for 7 days, and re-do it on the 8th day of arrival in India If the test results are negative, they will further self-monitor their health status in the next 7 days.
2. The new guidelines stipulate the agreements that international passengers, airlines, and entry points (airports, seaports, and land borders) should follow to conduct risk analysis on passengers.
3. This standard operating procedure (SOP) is valid from Monday to order. The ministry stated that based on the risk assessment, the document will be reviewed from time to time.
4. According to the guidelines, when planning a trip, all passengers should submit a self-declaration form on the Air Suvidha online portal and upload a negative Covid-19 RT-PCR report before booking a trip. The test should be performed within 72 hours before departure.
5. All passengers should also submit a statement on the authenticity of the report, otherwise they will be held criminally responsible.
6. “Passengers from countries that do not include risk will be allowed to leave the airport and should self-monitor their health status within 14 days of arrival. This applies to travelers from all countries, including those who still accept the approval of the WHO. Countries with reciprocal arrangements for the Covid-19 vaccine,” the guide states.
7. If travelers who are undergoing home quarantine or self-health monitoring show signs and symptoms suggesting Covid-19, or test positive for Covid-19 when they are retested, they will immediately self-isolate and report to the nearest medical institution or Call the national helpline (1075) or the state helpline number.
News Source: Hindustan Times
