Today Guidelines for International Arrivals to India has been issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India in wake of rising cases of COVID-19.
All international arrivals to undergo 7-days mandatory home quarantine says Government of India
Dated the 7″ January 2022
Government of India
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Guidelines for International Arrivals
(in supersession of all guidelines issued on the subject on and after 30 November 2021)
Introduction
The global trajectory of COVID-19 pandemic continues to decline with certain regional variations. The need to monitor the continuously changing nature of virus and evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) must still remain in focus. The existing guidelines for international arrivals in India have been formulated taking a risk-based approach. The existing guidelines have been revised in view of reporting of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.1529; named Omicron) which has been classified as Variant of Concern by the World Health Organization.
Scope
This document provides protocols to be complied by international travellers as well as those to be followed by airlines and all points of entry (airports, seaports and land border).
This Standard Operating Procedure shall be valid w.e.f. 11 January 2022 (00.01 Hrs 1ST) till further orders. Based on the risk assessment, this document shall be reviewed from time to time.
A.1. Planning for Travel
All travellers should Submit complete and factual information in self-declaration form on the online Air Suvidha portal (https://www.newdelhiairport.in/airsuvidha/apho-registration)
before the scheduled travel, including last 14 days travel details.
Upload a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report. The test should have been conducted within 72 hrs prior to undertaking the journey.
Each passenger shall also submit a declaration with respect to authenticity of the report and will be liable for criminal prosecution, if found otherwise.
They should also give an undertaking on the portal or otherwise to Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, through concerned airlines before they are allowed to undertake the journey that they would abide by the decision of the appropriate government authority to undergo home/institutional quarantine/ self-health monitoring, as warranted.
Continuing with the earlier approach, travellers from certain specified Countries (based on
epidemiological situation of COVID-19 in those Countries) are identified for additional follow up. These include need for additional measures as detailed in para (xvil) below. The listing of such specified Countries is a dynamic exercise based on evolving situation of COVID-19 across the world and will be made available on the websites of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, (mohfw.gov.in) and the link of the same will be available at website of Ministry of External Affairs and Air Suvidha Portal. All travellers who need to undertake testing on arrival, should preferably pre-book the test online on Air Suvidha Portal, to facilitate timely testing.
A.2. Before Boarding
Passengers originating or transiting from at-risk countries shall be informed by the airlines
that they will undergo post arrival testing quarantine if tested negative, stringent isolation
protocols if tested positive etc. as mentioned in para (xvii).
Do’s and Don’ts shall be provided along with ticket to the travellers by the irlines/agencies
concerned.
Airlines to allow boarding by only those passengers who have filled in all the information in
the Self Declaration Form on the Air Suvidha portal and uploaded the negative RT-PCR test report.
At the time of boarding the flight, only asymptomatic travellers will be allowed to board after thermal screening
All passengers shall be advised to download Aarogya Setu app on their mobile devices.
During Travel
In-flight announcement about COVID-19 including precautionary measures to be followed
shall be made at airports and in flights and during transit.
During in-flight crew shall ensure that COVID appropriate behaviour is followed at all times.
If any passenger reports symptoms of COVID-19 during flight, he/she shall be isolated as per protocol
Proper in-flight announcements should be made by the airlines regarding the testing
requirements and people who need to undergo such testing to avoid any congestion at the
arrival airports.
A.4.
On arrival
De-boarding should be done ensuring physical distancing.
Thermal screening would be carried out in respect of all the passengers by the health officials present at the airport. The self-declaration form filled online shall be shown to the airport health staff.
The passengers found to be symptomatic during screening shall be immediately isolated and taken to medical facility as per health protocol. If tested positive, their contacts shall be identified and managed as per laid down protocol”.
Travellers from specified Countries atrisk (as mentioned in para (ii) and (iv) above) will follow the protocol as detailed below:
• Submission of sample for post-arrival COVID-19 test at the point of arrival (self-paid).
Such travellers will be required to wait for their test results at the arrival airport before
leaving or taking a connecting flight.
• If tested negative they will follow, home quarantine for 7 days and shall undertake RT-
PCR test on the 8th day of arrival in India”.
• Travelers shall also be required to upload results of repeat RT-PCR test for COVID-19 done on 8th day on Air Suvidha portal (to be monitored by the respective States/UTs).
• If negative, they will further self-monitor their health for next 7 days.
• However, if such travellers are tested positive, their samples should be further sent for
genomic testing at INSACOG laboratory network
• They shall be managed at isolation facility and treated as per laid down standard protocol
including contact tracing mentioned in para (xvii).
The contacts of such positive case should be kept under home quarantine monitored
strictly by the concerned State Government as per laid down protocol.
