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7-day institutional quarantine for those flying from ‘at-risk’ countries in Maharashtra

December 1, 2021
Bharat Times

The Centre’s travel guidelines will be taken as “minimum restrictions” in Maharashtra.

Mumbai:

The Maharashtra government today said all international travelers arriving from “at risk” countries will have to undergo a mandatory seven-day institutional quarantine. Sources in Mumbai airport say that the order to keep passengers in mandatory isolation facilities will be implemented immediately. A source said that the passengers will have to pay for the quarantine in designated hotels. The order could lead to confusion at state airports as many passengers are mid-air on their way to the state, and will likely be unaware of the mandatory institutional quarantine rules and hotel fees they will need to pay.

These passengers will have to undergo RT-PCR test for Kovid three times on the second, fourth and seventh day after arrival.

The government order states that passengers who test positive will be shifted to hospital, while those who test negative will have to remain under home-quarantine for an additional seven days. The state government said the travel guidelines issued by the Center on November 28 in the wake of ‘Omicron’, designated a variant of the worrying new strain of Covid, would act as “minimum restrictions”.

International travelers traveling to the state will have to provide details of the countries they have visited in the last 15 days; This will be cross-checked by Immigration upon arrival. Wrong information will make the passengers liable for action under sections of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

Travelers from countries other than those designated “at risk” by the central government will have to undergo mandatorily RT-PCR tests at the airport on arrival and two weeks of institutional quarantine at home if the test turns negative. If found positive, they will be shifted to the hospital.

For now, the list of countries deemed “at risk” includes the United Kingdom, all 44 countries in Europe, South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel.

For international travelers who have connecting flights to other airports in India and do not need to leave the airport at all, they will have to undergo RT-PCR test at the first arrival airport in Maharashtra and are allowed to fly. Will be given only if they test negative. If such passenger has a connecting flight within the state, they will be subject to the quarantine rules which are applicable to all other international passengers who disembark directly in the state.

Domestic passengers traveling within the state will either have to be fully vaccinated or carry RT-PCR test reports within 48 hours of arrival. Domestic passengers from other states will have to undergo negative RT-PCR test within 48 hours of arrival.

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