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Indian authorities have updated their travel protocols with effect from February 14. As per the new guidelines issued by the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, mandatory pre-travel RT-PCR test ( with 72-hour validity) has been removed for passengers arriving from 87 countries. However, passengers travelling from the UAE to India are required to follow mandatory testing requirement.
Furthermore, mandatory seven-day home quarantine and the 'at-risk' countries system has been eliminated from the updated protocols. away with as well.
Speaking with the media, a spokesperson for the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi said that fully vaccinated travellers from the UAE are yet not eligible for pre-travel testing exemption at present.
As of now, the pre-travel testing exemption is being offered to passengers from 87 countries worldwide.
India is also embracing 'mutual recognition of vaccination certificates of nationally or World Health Organisation (WHO) recognised vaccines'.
Do children need to test pre-travel?
As per the updated protocols, children under the age of five years are exempted from both pre-and post-arrival PCR testing. However, in case of symptomatic cases on arrival or during self-monitoring period, they will be required to undergo PCR testing and follow required medical protocols.
List of pre-travel protocols that must be followed by Indian expatriates in the UAE before travelling to India:
Before travelling to India
· All passengers are required to present complete and factual information in self-declaration form on the online Air Suvidha portal: https://www.newdelhiairport.in/airsuvidha/apho-registration
· They are also required to upload a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report, with the test conducted within 72 hours prior to undertaking the journey.
· Passengers must also submit a declaration in terms of the authenticity of the report. They will be liable for criminal prosecution if found otherwise.
· They are also required to give an undertaking on the portal or otherwise to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, through concerned airlines before undertaking the journey. In the undertaking, they will abide by the decision of the appropriate government authority related to post-arrival requirement in terms of home/institutional quarantine/ self-health monitoring, among others.
During Boarding
· Passengers are required to follow the necessary dos and donts issued by the concerned airlines or agencies concerned
· Airlines have been asked to allow boarding by only those passengers who have filled in all information in the self-declaration form on the Air Suvidha portal as well as uploaded their negative RT-PCR test report
· At the time of boarding the flight, only asymptomatic travellers will be allowed to enter the flight after thermal screening
· Passengers are advised to download the Aarogya Setu app on their mobile devices
On Arrival
· Ensure physical distancing during deboarding the flight
· Thermal screening would be conducted for all passengers by the health officials at the airport. They are required to show the self-declaration form to the airport health staff
· In case of any symptoms are found during screening, passengers will be asked to immediately isolate. They will be taken to a medical facility as per health protocol. If tested positive, their contacts shall be identified and managed as per laid down protocol.
· A sub-section (2% of all passengers in the flight) will have to undergo random post-arrival testing at the airport
· Passengers will be identified by concerned airlines (preferably from different countries) and samples will be submitted following which they be allowed to leave the airport
· If these passengers will test positive, their samples will be further sent for genomic testing at the INSACOG laboratory network. Furthermore, they will be treated or isolated as per laid down standard protocol
· All passengers will be required to self-monitor their health for 14 days of arrival
· In case of COVID-19 symptoms under self-health monitoring, they will be required to immediately self-isolate and report to their nearest health facility or call National helpline number (1075)/ State Helpline Number.
SOURCE: Khaleej Times