Coronavirus travel guidelines: Amid rising coronavirus cases in China, Japan, the US, and other countries, India has issued a fresh set of guidelines for travellers. As per the union Health minister, a negative coronavirus report is a must for passengers transiting through China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Thailand, irrespective of their originating countries, before landing at any Indian airport.
“This will also apply to transiting passengers through China, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand and Japan irrespective of their originating countries before coming to any Indian Airport,” Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, in a statement to the states, said that in the context of the evolving trajectory of coronavirus cases in some countries, especially China, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, and Japan, the guidelines were revised, and came into effect from January 1.
What are the new travel guidelines?
The COVID test must be conducted within 72 hours of undertaking the journey to India. The negative report from the RT-PCR test must be uploaded on the Air Suvidha portal before their departure.
“This will also apply to transiting passengers through the countries (mentioned) irrespective of their originating countries before coming to any Indian Airport,” Bhushan said in the letter.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Air Suvidha Portal has to be made operational for passengers on all international flights from these countries, with a provision to allow international travellers arriving in India to submit negative RT-PCR test reports as well as a self-declaration form on this portal.
“This arrangement is in practice with effect from 10 am on Sunday, January 1, 2023,” the letter said, adding the existing practice of post-arrival random testing of 2 per cent of travellers irrespective of the port of departure shall continue.