The central government on Thursday, 5 November, issued a set of fresh guidelines for those travelling to India from abroad, under which travellers seeking exemption from institutional quarantine will have to submit a negative RT-PCR report conducted within 72 hours of undertaking the journey.
The Union Health Ministry stated: “Travellers may seek exemption from institutional quarantine by submitting a negative RT-PCR test report. This test should have been conducted 72 hours prior to undertaking the journey.”
When can a person be exempted from institutional quarantine?
Travelers may seek exemption from institutional quarantine by submitting a negative RT-PCR test report. This test should have been conducted within 72 hours prior to undertaking the journey.
Only for compelling cases of human distress such as pregnancy, death in family, serious illness and parents with children of the age of 10 years or below, home quarantine may be permitted for 14 days.
What are the procedures for seeking exemption from quarantine?
All travellers need to submit self-declaration form on the online portal http://www.newdelhiairport.in at least 72 hours before the scheduled travel, or physically after arrival at the respective health counters.
Passengers should also give an undertaking on the portal or otherwise to Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, through concerned airlines before they are allowed to undertake the journey that they would abide by the decision of the appropriate government authority to undergo facility/home quarantine/self-monitoring of their health for 14 days, or as warranted.
Each passenger will have to submit a declaration with respect to authenticity of the report and will be liable for criminal prosecution, if found otherwise.
The test report could also be produced upon arrival at the point of entry airport in India.
What if RT-PCR Test hasn’t been done prior to departure?
As per the guidelines, international passengers arriving without an RT-PCR negative certificate and wishing to seek exemption from institutional quarantine may also avail the facility available at the airports, to undergo RT-PCR testing.
What if RT-PCR test facility is not available at the airport?
Those international passengers who will be arriving without RT-PCR negative certificate at an airport where testing facility is not available will have to undergo mandatory 7 days of institutional quarantine and further 7 days of home quarantine.
At present, which airports in India provide RT-PCR testing facility?
Currently, airports including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Cochin are offering RT-PCR testing facilities at their respective arrivals.
What about passengers arriving through sea ports or land ports?
The passengers arriving through seaports or land ports will also have to undergo the same protocol as above, except that facility for online registration is not available for such passengers currently.
Such passengers shall submit the self-declaration form to the concerned authorities of Government of India at seaports, land ports on arrival. If found negative, they shall be advised to self-monitor their health for additional 7 days.
Do these rules apply to all the states?
These are guidelines issued by the central government, but the states can have any additional restrictions imposed with regards to quarantine and isolation as per their field assessment post arrival of passengers in the state concerned.
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