Covid Surge: Declaring Health Status, RT-PCR Test Must For Travellers From China, 4 Other Countries, Says Govt

The Government has made RT-PCR tests mandatory for international travellers coming from China, Japan, S. Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand in wake of the global Covid surge.

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New Delhi: As Covid cases spike in some parts of the world, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said RT-PCR will be mandatory for international arrivals from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand. On arrival, if any passenger from these countries is found symptomatic or tests positive for Covid then he or she will be put under quarantine, he said.

Air Suvidha form filling to declare current health status to be made compulsory for international passengers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand, news agency ANI reported. 

Covid19 | Air Suvidha form filling to declare current health status to be made compulsory for international passengers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand pic.twitter.com/tX4Yrr6j4U

— ANI (@ANI) December 24, 2022

Air Suvidha portal to be implemented for passengers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong & Thailand, RT-PCR to be made mandatory for them. After arriving in India, if they test positive, they'll be quarantined, Mandaviya told ANI.

#WATCH | Air Suvidha portal to be implemented for passengers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong & Thailand, RT-PCR to be made mandatory for them. After arriving in India, if they test positive, they'll be quarantined: Union Health Min Dr Mandaviya pic.twitter.com/ST7ypqmy1V

— ANI (@ANI) December 24, 2022

Taking note of the rising cases of COVID globally, Mandaviya on Friday said that the Centre and States need to work in "tandem" and in a "collaborative spirit" as was done during the previous surges. Mandaviya, while chairing a virtual meeting Friday with the health ministers of the states, Principal Secretaries, Additional Chief Secretaries and Information Commissioners, said that the country needs to be on the alert and be fully prepared for COVID management.

The meeting was held in view of the recent upsurge in cases in some countries like China, Japan, Brazil and the United States in the presence of Union Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar, NITI Aayog member V K Paul to review the public health preparedness for containment and management of COVID-19 and progress of national COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

(With agencies' Inputs)