The Centre on Thursday issued revised guidelines for international passengers arriving in India. According to the new guidelines, children below the age of five are exempted from both pre-and-post-arrival testing for coronavirus disease(Covid-19) in India. However, if they are found symptomatic for coronavirus infections on arrival or during their home quarantine period, they shall undergo testing and be treated according to laid down protocol, news agency PTI reported citing the guidelines.
This standard operating procedure shall be valid from November 12 till further orders, the ministry said.A
At least 15 days must have elapsed since completion of Covid-19 vaccination schedule.
If travellers are fully vaccinated and coming from a country with which India has reciprocal arrangements for mutual acceptance of WHO approved Covid-19 vaccines, they shall be allowed to leave the airport and need not undergo home quarantine. However, they shall self monitor their health for 14 days’ post arrival.
For travellers who are partially or not vaccinated, they will need to submit a sample for post-arrival Covid-19 test at the point of arrival after which they will be allowed to leave the airport. Other measures they will need to adhere to include home quarantine for seven days, re-test on the eighth day of arrival in India and if negative, further self monitor of their health for next seven days.
Travellers under home quarantine or self-health monitoring, if develop signs and symptoms suggestive of Covid-19 or test positive for Covid-19 on re-testing, they will immediately self isolate and report to their nearest health facility or call national helpline number 1075 or state helpline number.
It is mandatory to ensure physical distancing and thermal screening during deboarding on arrival.
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 a medical facility according to health protocol. If tested positive, their contacts shall be identified and managed according to laid down protocol.
Contacts of the suspect case are the co-passengers seated in the same row, three rows in front and three rows behind along with identified cabin crew.
All the community contacts of those travellers who have tested positive (during home quarantine period) would be subjected to quarantine for 14 days and tested as per ICMR protocol , the guidelines stated.