In response to the emergence of the new Covid-19 variant, India has issued updated travel instructions. Passengers arriving in India from or transiting through “at-risk” countries will be subjected to an RT-PCR test and must wait for the results before leaving the airport or boarding a connecting flight, according to revised guidelines issued on Sunday in response to the emergence of the new COVID-19 Omicron variant.
Travelers from countries not on the list of “at-risk” countries will be permitted to leave the airport and must self-monitor their health for 14 days after arrival, although 5% of them will be randomly tested at the airport, according to the new rules released by the Union Health Ministry. The airlines in question should identify the 5% of such passengers who will be tested on each flight, ideally from different countries.
On arrival, such passengers will be taken to the testing area by the airlines or the Ministry of Civil Aviation authorities, and the ministry will cover the expense of testing them.
The existing standards have been changed in light of the World Health Organization’s classification of a new SARS-CoV-2 variation called Omicron (B.1.1.529) as a Variant of Concern, according to the Health Ministry.
This standard operating procedure will be in effect from December 1 through the end of the year, unless otherwise specified.
