Omicron: Aligning travel advisory for international travelers with our Centre, Government of Maharashtra
Highlight
- RT-PCR test is mandatory at the first arrival airport in Maharashtra for international arrivals.
- All international passengers must return a negative result to exit Mumbai airport.
- 7-day institutional quarantine is mandatory international arrivals from ‘at-risk’ countries.
The Center on Wednesday opposed Maharashtra’s mandatory RT-PCR negative report for international arrivals from all countries and not just ‘at risk’ countries. The tests for international passengers will be conducted at the Mumbai airport, irrespective of their country of origin. The Center claims that this is against the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
In a letter to the Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said: “This is contrary to the SOPs and guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.”
Here is everything you need to know.
- For international passengers with connecting flights to any other airport in India, an RT-PCR test will be mandatory at the first arrival airport in Maharashtra.
- All international passengers will have to return a negative result to leave Mumbai airport, and then undergo 14 days of home quarantine. The countries of origin of these travelers do not matter, which means that travelers from countries other than those “at risk” will also have to go through it.
- Maharashtra has made seven-day institutional quarantine mandatory for travelers coming from ‘at-risk’ countries to the state.
- According to an updated list, the countries designated as ‘at risk’ are European countries, the UK, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel.
- The central government has asked the Maharashtra government to align the orders issued by the state with the guidelines issued by the ministry of health and family welfare, to ensure uniform implementation of the guidelines across all states and union territories.
- The Maharashtra government has taken measures amid the growing threat of the new Covid variant omicron detected in several countries.
- Travelers from at-risk countries will have to undergo RT-PCR test on the second, fourth and seventh day of arrival, the authority said in its latest guidelines. If any passenger is found positive, he/she will be shifted to the hospital.
- The development came after six passengers who arrived in Maharashtra from South Africa and other high-risk countries tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday.
Read also: Omicron threat: 6 international travelers from countries ‘at risk’ Maha . found covid positive in
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