The government on Monday waived off the requirement of filling air facility forms for people coming to India from abroad amid the dwindling number of coronavirus cases.
The requirement to submit a negative RT-PCR report or details of the primary vaccination schedule has also been done away with for international arrivals.
According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the revised guidelines for international arrivals will come into effect from November 22.
Earlier, the guidelines required that passengers coming to India from abroad should fill up an Air Suvidha form. The form was introduced in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Last week, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said that the use of masks is not mandatory during air travel, but passengers should use them.
As per the latest guidelines of MoHFW, air travelers should be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in their home country as per the approved primary schedule of vaccination.
The latest guidelines replace those issued in September, which required those arriving from abroad to submit an air facilitation form.
They had to provide “details of a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report (should have been tested within 72 hours before commencing the journey) or submit details of completed primary vaccination against COVID-19 vaccination”, according to the earlier guidelines of
It had said that only children below the age of 5 years were exempted from both pre- and post-arrival tests.
On Monday, the MOHFW said that upon arrival, passengers should ensure physical distancing and thermal screening of all incoming international passengers would be done by health officials present at the point of entry.
It added, “Passengers found symptomatic during screening shall be immediately isolated, taken to designated medical facility as per health protocol.”
In addition, the ministry said that all passengers should self-monitor their health upon arrival. It added that they should call their “nearest health facility or national helpline number (1075) / state helpline number if they have any suggestive symptoms.”
According to the ministry, the current guidelines are being revised in the light of the continuing decline in the COVID-19 trajectory and significant progress in COVID-19 vaccination coverage globally as well as in India.
During air travel, the ministry said that in-flight announcements about the ongoing pandemic, including precautionary measures to be followed, such as enhanced use of masks and physical distancing, will be made available at all points of entry into flights/travel should be done during
Any passenger showing symptoms of coronavirus during the journey should be isolated as per standard protocol.
In the wake of the pandemic, scheduled domestic flight services were suspended for two months from March 25, 2020.
Scheduled international flight services, which were suspended on the same day, were restored only from March 27 this year.
India on Monday recorded 406 new coronavirus infections, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases to 4,46,69,421, while active cases fell to 6,402, according to official data.
According to the MOHFW website, the active cases comprise 0.01 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has risen to 98.80 per cent.
(With inputs from PTI)