Omicron Threat: Revised Travel Rules For International Passengers Kick In — 10 Things To Know

Travellers from 'countries at-risk' will be required to take the Covid test after arrival and wait for the results at the airport, according to the updated guidelines.

New Delhi: Strict guidelines for international passengers, especially those coming from 'at-risk' countries, has come into effect amid rising concerns over the emergence of the Omicron Covid-19 variant.

In a series of tweets, Delhi airport said operations for international arrivals were running smoothly after the implementation of the new guidelines. "Total 1,013 passengers from 4 'at risk' flights, successfully completed arrival formalities due to availability of Rapid PCR Test along with RT-PCR test," the Delhi airport tweeted.

So far, no cases of Omicron variant have been reported in India, the government has said. The Union Ministry of Health Affairs has asked states and union territories to ensure RT-PCR tests for travellers coming from 'at-risk' countries on the first day of arrival and retesting on the eighth day.

The 'At risk' countries are South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong, Israel, and those in Europe. 

The following are the amended guidelines:

1. All international travellers arriving in India will have to mandatorily fill up a self-declaration form and upload their negative RT-PCR test reports on the Air Suvidha portal. This test will have to be conducted within 72 hours before undertaking the journey.

2. RT-PCR tests are mandatory for passengers arriving from 'at-risk' countries and they will be allowed to leave the airport only after the test results are out.

3. The Health Ministry has advised international passengers from 'at-risk' countries to prepare to wait at the airports till the report of the RT-PCR test has come and not book connecting flights beforehand.

4. As per the new guidelines, if travellers from 'at-risk' countries test negative, they will have to undergo home quarantine for seven days and get re-tested on the eighth day. The passenger also needs to monitor his/her health for the next seven days.

5. If one tests positive, the passenger will be admitted to a separate isolation facility and their sample will be sent for genomic testing. The traveller can be discharged at the discretion of the treating physician if the patient's genomic sample comes back negative for the Omicron variant. If the sample tests positive for Omicron, strict isolation and treatment protocols shall follow. 

6. The contacts of those who test positive will be kept under institutional quarantine or at home quarantine monitored strictly by the concerned state government.

7. Each passenger who will undergo the RT-PCR test will be charged Rs 1,700. The amount includes charges for the RT-PCR test, and food and water during their stay at the airport till the test results come.

8. Two per cent of the passengers arriving in flights from other countries will be subjected to RT-PCR test randomly.

9. Travellers from countries excluding 'at-risk' nations will be allowed to leave the airport and shall self-monitor their health for 14 days after arrival.

10. At Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, all passengers from 'at-risk' countries will have to undergo mandatory seven-day institutional quarantine. They will have to take three RT-PCR tests — on the second, fourth and seventh days after arrival. They will be allowed to leave only after test results return negative.