Omicron threat: Govt mandates 7-day home quarantine for all international arrivals

New Delhi, Jan 07: Amid alarming rise in the COVID-19 cases in the country, the government on Friday mandated that all international passengers coming to India will have to undergo home quarantine for seven days.

The existing guidelines have been revised in view of reporting of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.1.529; named Omicron) which has been classified as Variant of Concern by the World Health Organization.

Previously, travellers coming from countries specified as "at risk" had to submit sample for COVID testing post-arrival and were required to wait for their results at the airport before leaving or taking a connecting flight. If tested negative they were needed to undergo home quarantine for seven days and then get their RT-PCR test done on the eighth.

This Standard Operating Procedure shall be valid w.e.f. 11th January 2022 (00.01 Hrs IST) till furtherorders.

Planning for Travel

All travellers should

• Submit complete and factual information in self-declaration form on the online Air Suvidha portal (https://www.newdelhiairport.in/airsuvidha/apho-registration) before the scheduled travel, including last 14 days travel details.
• Upload a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report. The test should have been conducted within 72 hrs prior to undertaking the journey.
• Each passenger shall also submit a declaration with respect to authenticity of the report and will be liable for criminal prosecution, if found otherwise.
• They should also give an undertaking on the portal or otherwise to Ministry of Civil Aviation Government of India, through concerned airlines before they are allowed to undertake the journey that they would abide by the decision of the appropriate government authority to undergo home/institutional quarantine/ self-health monitoring, as warranted.
• All travellers who need to undertake testing on arrival, should preferably pre-book the test online on Air Suvidha Portal, to facilitate timely testing.

Before Boarding

• Passengers originating or transiting from at-risk countries shall be informed by the airlinesthat they will undergo post arrival testing, quarantine if tested negative, stringent isolation protocols if tested positive etc.
• Do's and Don'ts shall be provided along with ticket to the travellers by the airlines/agencies concerned.
• Airlines to allow boarding by only those passengers who have filled in all the information in the Self Declaration Form on the Air Suvidha portal and uploaded the negative RT-PCR test report.
• At the time of boarding the flight, only asymptomatic travellers will be allowed to board after
• thermal screening.
• All passengers shall be advised to download Aarogya Setu app on their mobile devices.

During Travel

• In-flight announcement about COVID-19 including precautionary measures to be followed shall be made at airports and in flights and during transit.
• During in-flight crew shall ensure that COVID appropriate behaviour is followed at all times.
• If any passenger reports symptoms of COVID-19 during flight, he/she shall be isolated as per protocol.
• Proper in-flight announcements should be made by the airlines regarding the testing requirements and people who need to undergo such testing to avoid any congestion at the arrival airports.

On arrival

• De-boarding should be done ensuring physical distancing.
• Thermal screening would be carried out in respect of all the passengers by the health officials present at the airport. The self-declaration form filled online shall be shown to the airport health staff.
• The passengers found to be symptomatic during screening shall be immediately isolated and taken to medical facility as per health protocol.
• If tested positive, their contacts shall be identified and managed as per laid down protocol

Travellers from specified Countries at risk to follow the protocol as detailed below:

• Submission of sample for post-arrival COVID-19 test* at the point of arrival (self-paid).
• Such travellers will be required to wait for their test results at the arrival airport before leaving or taking a connecting flight. If tested negative they will follow, home quarantine for 7 days and shall undertake RTPCR test on the 8th day of arrival in India.
• Travelers shall also be required to upload results of repeat RT-PCR test for COVID-19 done on 8th day on Air Suvidha portal (to be monitored by the respective States/UTs).
• 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 managed at isolation facility and treated as per laid down standard protocol including contact tracing.
• The contacts of such positive case should be kept under home quarantine monitored strictly by the concerned State Government as per laid down protocol.

International travellers arriving at seaports/land ports

• International travellers arriving through seaports/land ports will also have to undergo the same protocol as above, except that facility for online registration is not available for such passengers currently.
• Such travellers shall submit the self-declaration form to the concerned authorities of Government of India at seaports/land ports on arrival.