RT-PCR Test Must For Passengers Travelling To India From China, 5 Other Countries From January 1

Passengers from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Thailand to India will have to upload their RT-PCR reports on the Air Suvidha portal before travel.

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New Delhi: Passengers travelling from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Thailand to India will now have to undergo mandatory RT-PCR test before flight, said Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday, adding that they will have to upload their reports on the Air Suvidha portal before travel.

"RT-PCR test made mandatory for flyers coming from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand from 1st January 2023. They will have to upload their reports on the Air Suvidha portal before travel," the Union Minister said in a tweet.   

Earlier, India required travellers from China, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and Thailand to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test on arrival in India and quarantine if they test positive.

RT-PCR test has been made mandatory for flyers coming from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand from 1st January 2023. They will have to upload their reports on the Air Suvidha portal before travel.

— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) December 29, 2022

As per reports, the government was mulling to make mandatory for passengers arriving from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Thailand to have negative RT-PCR reports from this week. 

As covid cases surge in China amid easing pandemic restrictions, some countries now require passengers from China to show negative Covid-19 test result for immigration. 

The United States will now require passengers from China to get a test no more than two days before flying and present proof of the negative test to their airline before flying, reported CNN quoting federal health officials as saying. 

The travellers can either have a PCR test or a rapid antigen self-test administered through a telehealth service and the new requirements will come into force from January 5. 

Earlier Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also said that the country will require a negative Covid-19 test result upon arrival for travellers from mainland China. Travellers who test positive will be required to quarantine for seven days, Kishida told reporters, adding that the new border measures for China will go into effect from midnight on December 30.