Isolation facility not compulsory for international travellers arriving from 'at-risk' countries

International passengers coming to India from countries deemed ‘at-risk’ from Covid-19 outbreak as per the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), shall be tested upon arrival, but may not necessarily be admitted to an isolation facility, as per ministry guidelines. The new guidelines for international passengers effective January 22, however, stipulate, “If tested positive, their (travellers’) samples should be further sent for genomic testing at INSACOG laboratory network. They shall be treated/isolated as per laid down standard protocol."

Other rules and regulations remain unchanged in the new protocol. Guidelines released in the first week of January stated all International passengers entering India shall be mandatorily required to undergo a home quarantine of 7 days. Earlier guidelines that expire on Friday stated passengers who test positive upon arrival from at-risk countries will be “managed at isolation facility and treated as per protocol”. The revised MoHFW protocol for international passengers arriving from at-risk countries state, “If negative, they will further self-monitor their health for next 7 days. However, if such travellers are tested positive, their samples should be further sent for genomic testing at INSACOG laboratory network. They shall be treated, isolated as per laid down standard protocol. If travellers under home quarantine or self-health monitoring, develop signs and symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 or test positive for COVID-19 on re-testing, they will immediately self-isolate and report to their nearest health facility”.The government has 19 countries on its list of “at-risk” regions. These include European countries including UK, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Ghana, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Hong Kong, Israel, Congo, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Nigeria, Tunisia, and Zambia.