PCR tests mandatory for children travelling to India
- 22 Feb 2021
Gulf Today Report
International travellers, including children arriving in India will have to do a mandatory Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain reaction (RT-PCR) test irrespective of the age at ports and airports in the country.
The move came into effect on Monday.
Travellers will be exempted from quarantine in the case of a death in the family.
The Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation said as per latest SOPs issued by Ministry of Health, India, it is mandatory for all passengers travelling to India to submit their self-declaration form on Air Suvidha portal (http://newdelhiairport.in) along with negative RT-PCR report, conducted within 72 hrs of departure.”
It is also learned that passenger arriving in India, for taking domestic connecting flight RT-PCR negative certificate is mandatory as per Government mandate.
The ministry said as per the state rules of Karnataka, Kerala, and Odisha, all asymptomatic passengers will undergo home quarantine.
All asymptomatic passengers having the first airport of entry located in these states, have to undergo 14 days mandatory home quarantine. Hence, the exemption is not required.
The Delhi Airport confirmed to a passenger that RT PCR test is mandatory for all passengers irrespective of age and gender.
The airport said, “For more information, please contact the airline concerned.”
The Civil Aviation authorities said, “An undertaking also needs to be uploaded in the portal accepting to abide by Government rules on testing, institutional & home quarantine. Passengers seeking exemptions in testing/quarantine protocols in case of death in family should apply on Air Suvidha portal.
“All necessary amendments have been made to the portal as per the latest guidelines & to facilitate your travel.”
Cases of COVID-19 are increasing in some parts of India after months of a steady nationwide decline, prompting authorities to impose lockdowns and other virus restrictions.
Infections have been plummeting in India since September, and life has already returned to normal in large parts of the country. In many cities, markets are bustling, roads are crowded and restaurants are nearly full.
But experts have been warning that the reasons behind India's success aren't really understood, and that the country of nearly 1.4 billion people can't afford to let its guard down. Public health officials are now investigating potential mutations in the virus that could make it more contagious and render some treatments and vaccines less effective.
The spike has been most pronounced in the western state of Maharashtra, where nearly 7,000 cases were detected in the past 24-hours, accounting for almost half of India's over 14,000 cases confirmed on Monday.