NEW GUIDELINES FOR INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS IN INDIA

(The Quiver) The Union Health Ministry has revised the existing norms for international passengers arriving in India in view of the rising COVID-19 cases and threat over Omicron. The revised guidelines will take effect from January 11 and will be apply till further orders, the ministry said in a statement.

The new rules cover protocols to be followed by passengers, airlines and all entry points (airports, land border and seaports).
 
“This Standard Operating Procedure shall be valid w.e.f 11th January 2022 (00.01 hrs IST) till further orders. Based on the risk assessment, this document shall be reviewed from time to time,” the health ministry order read. 

Those who are planning to travel have to fill in the self-declaration form on the online Air Suvidha portal before the scheduled travel.
 
Travellers need to fill in details about their travel details of the last 14 days. They need to upload negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test report on the portal and the test should be conducted 72 hours before the journey. As per the revised guidelines, passengers will also have to submit a declaration on the authenticity of the report.
 
Passengers will also have to give an undertaking on the portal or otherwise to Ministry of Civil Aviation through concerned airlines before they are allowed to undertake the journey. All travellers who need to undertake the COVID-19 testing on arrival should pre-book it on the Air Suvidha portal. The passengers have been advised to download the Aarogya Setu app.
 
Travellers from certain countries are at-risk and have been identified for additional follow-up. Besides this, airlines will also inform these travellers about post-arrival testing, quarantine in case of a negative report, stringent isolation protocols if tested positive, etc.

As per the new guidelines, airlines can allow only those passengers to board the flights who have filled in the self-declaration form on the Air Suvidha portal and only asymptomatic travellers will be allowed to board after thermal screening. 

All community contacts of those travellers who tested positive during home quarantine period would be subjected to quarantine for 14 days and tested as per ICMR protocol.

Countries declared as at-risk as twitted by ANI