The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued guidelines for international flight arrivals in airports across the country, as part of the central government's initiative to gradually resume air travel in the wake of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak. The new guidelines include instructions for a 14-day mandatory quarantine period, 7 days institutional quarantine at own cost, followed by 7 days of home isolation.
The new guidelines listed for international travel are as follows:
- Before boarding, all travellers shall give an undertaking that they would undergo mandatory quarantine for 14 days - 7 days paid institutional quarantine at their own cost, followed by 7 days isolation at home with self-monitoring of health.
- Only for exceptional and compelling reasons such as cases of human distress, pregnancy, death in the family, serious illness, and parent(s) accompanied by children below 10 years, as assessed by the receiving states, home quarantine may be permitted for 14 days. The use of the Aarogya Setu app shall be mandatory in such cases.
- Dos and Don'ts shall be provided along with tickets to the travelers by the agencies concerned.
- All passengers shall be advised to download the Aarogya Setu app on their mobile devices.
- At the time of boarding the flight/ ship, only asymptomatic travelers will be allowed to board after the thermal screening.
- Passengers arriving through the land borders will also have to undergo the same protocol as above, and only those who are asymptomatic will be enabled to cross the border into India.
- Serf-declaration form in duplicate shall be filled by the person in the flight/ship and a copy of the same will be given to Health and Immigration officials present at the airport/ seaport/land port. The form may also be made available on the Aarogya Setu app.
- Suitable precautionary measures such as environmental sanitation and disinfection shall be ensured at the airports as well as within the flights.
- During boarding and at the airports, all possible measures to ensure social distancing to be ensured.
- Suitable announcement about COVID-19 including precautionary measures to be followed shall be made at airports/port and in flight/ships and during transit.
- While onboard the flight/ ship, required precautions such as wearing masks, environmental hygiene, respiratory hygiene, hand hygiene, etc. are to be observed by airline/ ship staff, crew and all passengers.
- On arrival, thermal screening would be carried out in respect of all the passengers by the Health officials present at the airport/ seaport/ land port.
- The passengers found to be symptomatic during screening shall be immediately isolated and taken to a medical facility as per health protocol.
- The remaining passengers shall be taken to suitable institutional quarantine facilities, to be arranged by the respective State/ UT Governments.
- These passengers shall be kept under institutional quarantine for a minimum period of 7 days.
- They shall be tested as per ICMR protocol available at www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/Revisedtestinfauidelines.pdf
- If they test positive, they shall be assessed clinically. If they are assessed as mild cases, they will be allowed home isolation or isolated in the COVID Care Centre (both public & private facilities) as appropriate.
The central government is aiming to restart international flights by mid-June or July, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Saturday. This is after the government gave its nod to resume domestic flights from May 25.
Speaking to reporters, Puri asserted that the government will try to start a good percentage of international flights before August, if not the entire civil aviation.
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