The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has eased Covid guidelines for international passengers as the country witnesses a major dip in cases and announced that the requirement to conduct RT-PCR tests on a random 2 per cent of the passengers has been dropped.
The Union Health Ministry in its release said, "Taking note of the prevalent COVID-19 situation and the significant achievements made in COVID-19 vaccination coverage across the globe, the Union Health Ministry has further eased guidelines for international travellers in the context of COVID-19. Vide these new guidelines, which shall come into effect from 0000 Hrs (IST) of 20% July 2023 the earlier requirements for RT-PCR based testing of a random 2% subset of international travellers to India, now stand dropped."
The release then added, "However, the earlier advice for precautionary measures to be followed in the context of COVID-19 by airlines as well as international travellers shall continue to apply."
The total case tally, since the pandemic erupted in early 2020, stands at 44.9 million, with the recovery rate standing at 98.81%, according to the health ministry website. The death toll stands at 531,915.
The government has said that all international travellers should be fully vaccinated as per the approved primary schedule of vaccination against covid-19 in their country.
As per the new guidelines, “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. Any passenger having symptoms of COVID-19 during travel shall be isolated as per standard protocol and the said passenger should be wearing a mask, isolated and segregated from other passengers in flight/travel and shifted to an isolation facility subsequently for follow-up treatment."
Upon arriving at the Indian airports, the de-boarding should be done while ensuring physical distancing. The guidelines further said, “Thermal screening should be done in respect of all the passengers by the health officials present at the point of entry. The passengers found to be symptomatic during screening shall be immediately isolated, and taken to a designated medical facility as per health protocol. All travellers should self-monitor their health post-arrival and also shall report to their nearest health facility or call the national helpline number (1075)/ State Helpline Number in case they have any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19," reported the Mint.