India on Thursday made RT-PCR test obligatory for travelers showing up from seven additional countries, including South Africa, Bangladesh and China, attributable to an ascent in new Covid-19 strains.
Appearances from South Africa, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand and Zimbabwe should finish another RT-PCR test after arriving at Indian air terminals. This is alongside the one they need to do prior to getting onto the flight.
As per past rules, travelers showing up from the United Kingdom, Europe and West Asia were needed to finish their RT-PCR tests again after arriving at Indian air terminals.
In a letter to all states and Union Territories, the public authority said that because of new changes in the SARS-CoV-2 infection, rising number of ‘variations of concern’ and rising number of ‘variations of interest’ across the planet, these countries were added to the rundown of nations where explorers should finish another RT-PCR test subsequent to arriving at Indian air terminals alongside the one they go through prior to loading onto the flight.
“The states/UTs should likewise reinforce their Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) exercises being composed through the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (INSACOG) organization of labs, by sending a decent level of tests of positive cases among worldwide explorers for genome sequencing to the separate INSACOG Genome Sequencing Laboratories labeled with them,” read the letter composed by Union wellbeing secretary Rajesh Bhushan.
NITI Aayog part (wellbeing) VK Paul said INSACOG has the ability to comprehend the effect of freaks, be it as far as infection seriousness or sickness contagiousness. “The screening of worldwide voyagers according to a hereditary sequencing perspective is perhaps the most basic conventions and pillar,” he added. He further encouraged the specialists to take gauges with the goal that these variations are not brought into the country.