Ahmedabad: Travelers from countries put in ‘at risk’ category Union Health Ministry must pass covid-19 test Upon arrival Gujarat If they are not fully vaccinated, an official said in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
Nine countries have been classified as ‘at risk’ following worldwide concern about a new type of coronavirus named as omicron. State’s Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Manoj Agarwal said, “As per the letter issued to us by the Union Health Ministry on Friday, RT-PCR test is mandatory for all incoming passengers who do not have vaccination certificate.”
He said that those who have been fully vaccinated will also be screened at the airport and will be allowed to proceed if they do not show any symptoms of infection.
Agarwal said the countries that have been classified as ‘at risk’ include the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand and Zimbabwe.
Gujarat has two international airports – one in Ahmedabad and the other in Surat. The state has been asked to follow the guidelines of the Union Home Ministry dated November 11.
The guidelines state that if travelers from countries classified as ‘at risk’ (and with which India has reciprocal arrangements for mutual acceptance of WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines) are fully vaccinated, So they have to isolate themselves for 14 days after arrival. If they are partially vaccinated or not vaccinated, they will have to submit samples for COVID-19 testing. Such passengers will have to remain in home quarantine for seven days, and undergo another test on the 8th day of arrival in India. They will have to undergo self-monitoring for another week even if they tested negative for the virus. The civil aviation ministry had said on Friday that scheduled international flights to and from India will resume from December 15 after a 20-month coronavirus-induced suspension.
The Aviation Ministry had said that countries deemed ‘at risk’ by the Union Health Ministry would be allowed to operate only a certain percentage of their pre-Covid scheduled flights.
Nine countries have been classified as ‘at risk’ following worldwide concern about a new type of coronavirus named as omicron. State’s Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Manoj Agarwal said, “As per the letter issued to us by the Union Health Ministry on Friday, RT-PCR test is mandatory for all incoming passengers who do not have vaccination certificate.”
He said that those who have been fully vaccinated will also be screened at the airport and will be allowed to proceed if they do not show any symptoms of infection.
Agarwal said the countries that have been classified as ‘at risk’ include the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand and Zimbabwe.
Gujarat has two international airports – one in Ahmedabad and the other in Surat. The state has been asked to follow the guidelines of the Union Home Ministry dated November 11.
The guidelines state that if travelers from countries classified as ‘at risk’ (and with which India has reciprocal arrangements for mutual acceptance of WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines) are fully vaccinated, So they have to isolate themselves for 14 days after arrival. If they are partially vaccinated or not vaccinated, they will have to submit samples for COVID-19 testing. Such passengers will have to remain in home quarantine for seven days, and undergo another test on the 8th day of arrival in India. They will have to undergo self-monitoring for another week even if they tested negative for the virus. The civil aviation ministry had said on Friday that scheduled international flights to and from India will resume from December 15 after a 20-month coronavirus-induced suspension.
The Aviation Ministry had said that countries deemed ‘at risk’ by the Union Health Ministry would be allowed to operate only a certain percentage of their pre-Covid scheduled flights.
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