Flying to India from abroad? Govt issues latest guidelines for international passengers

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New
Delhi,
Dec
22:
In
wake
of
the
rising
Covid-19
cases
in
China
and
some
other
countries,
Ministry
of
Health
&
Family
Welfare
has
issued
‘Guidelines
for
International
Arrivals’.
The
Government
of
India
has
been
updating
rules,
and
guidelines
and
implementing
precautionary
measures
as
per
needs
and
requirements.

Recently,
the
Indian
government
updated
the
travel
guidelines
for
international
arrivals
in
India
keeping
into
consideration
all
the
necessary
precautions
that
should
be
followed
as
soon
as
passengers
land
in
India.

The
protocols
to
be
complied
by
international
travellers
as
well
as
points
of
entry
(airports,
seaports
and
land
border)
and
shall
be
valid
w.e.f.
24th
December
2022
(10.00
Hrs
IST)
till
further
orders.

If
you
are
flying
to
India
from
abroad,
then
you
should
follow
the
below-mentioned
guidelines
to
avoid
any
trouble
at
the
airport.

Planning
for
Travel

i.
All
travellers
should
preferably
be
fully
vaccinated
as
per
the
approved
primary
schedule
of
vaccination
against
COVID-19
in
their
Country.

During
Travel

ii.
In-flight
announcement
about
the
ongoing
COVID-19
pandemic
including
precautionary
measures
to
be
followed
(preferable
use
of
masks
and
following
physical
distancing)
shall
be
made
in
flights/travel
and
at
all
points
of
entry.

iii.
Any
passenger
having
symptoms
of
COVID-19
during
travel
shall
be
isolated
as
per
standard
protocol
i.e.
the
said
passenger
should
be
wearing
mask,
isolated
and
segregated
from
other
passengers
in
flight/travel
and
shifted
to
an
isolation
facility
subsequently
for
follow
up
treatment.

On
arrival

iv.
De-boarding
should
be
done
ensuring
physical
distancing.

v.
Thermal
screening
should
be
done
in
respect
of
all
the
passengers
by
the
health
officials
present
at
the
point
of
entry.

Karnataka
makes
face
masks
mandatory
in
closed
spaces,
AC
rooms;
Covid
tests
for
flu
symptoms

vi.
The
passengers
found
to
be
symptomatic
during
screening
shall
be
immediately
isolated,
taken
to
a
designated
medical
facility
as
per
health
protocol
(as
above).

vii.
The
following
protocol
post
arrival
shall
also
be
followed:

a)
A
sub-section
(2%
of
the
total
passengers*
in
the
flight)
shall
undergo
random
post
arrival
testing
at
the
airport
on
arrival.
b)
Such
travellers
in
each
flight
shall
be
identified
by
the
concerned
airlines
(preferably
from
different
countries).
They
will
submit
the
samples
and
shall
be
allowed
to
leave
the
airport
thereafter.
c)
If
such
travellers’ samples
are
tested
positive,
their
samples
should
be
further
sent
for
genomic
testing
at
INSACOG
laboratory
network.
d)
They
shall
be
treated/isolated
as
per
laid
down
standard
protocol.

viii.
All
travellers
should
self-monitor
their
health
post
arrival
also
shall
report
to
their
nearest
health
facility
or
call
National
helpline
number
(1075)/
State
Helpline
Number
in
case
they
have
any
symptoms
suggestive.

*
Children
under
12
years
of
age
are
exempted
from
post-arrival
random
testing.
However,
if
found
symptomatic
for
COVID-19
on
arrival
or
during
the
period
of
self-monitoring
period,
they
shall
undergo
testing
and
treated
as
per
laid
down
protocol.