New guidelines require mandatory RT-PCR tests for all passengers from ‘at risk’ countries

States across the country have scurried to implement the testing, tracing and quarantine for international passengers from a few countries where the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has been recorded, on advice from the Union Ministry of Health.

Some States have already implemented these procedures, while others will start implementing these restrictions from December 1, and some others are still awaiting instructions from the State government.

While Standard Operating Procedures (SPOs) already mandate that an international passenger uploads a negative RT-PCR report along with a self-declaration form (SDF) in the Air Suvidha portal, in the light of a new variant emerging, further steps have been put in place. The list of countries at risk is available in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare website (www.mohfw.gov.in); passengers coming from these ‘at risk’ countries, have to undergo an RT-PCR test on arrival. If they test negative, they must quarantine themselves at home for seven days, and a repeat test will have to be done on the eighth day.

Source: Civil Aviation Authority – Qatar