Govt to review resumption of Int’l flights

Makes RT-PCR test mandatory for passengers coming from ‘at-risk’ countries

As concerns mounted over the spread of potentially more contagious coronavirus variant Omicron to many countries, the Centre on Sunday decided to review the resumption of international flights and issued a slew of directions to the states for ramping up testing-surveillance measures and health facilities.

Alert to the looming threat, states began to re-tighten curbs and urgently trace people who arrived from abroad especially ‘at risk’ nations in the last one month while a demand to not allow flights from the countries affected by the new variant was made by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Passengers travelling from or transiting through “at-risk” countries will have to undergo RT-PCR test on arrival in India and will be required to wait for the results before leaving the airport or taking a connecting flight, according to revised guidelines issued on Sunday. Travellers coming from countries other than those listed as “at risk” will be allowed to leave the airport and shall self-monitor their health for 14 days after arrival, but five per cent of them will be randomly tested at the airport. This SOP shall be valid from December 1 till further orders. The revised guidelines will supersede earlier ones issued on and after November 11.

Before boarding passengers originating from or transiting through at-risk countries shall be informed by the airlines that they will undergo post-arrival testing, quarantine if tested negative, stringent isolation protocols if tested positive, etc.

AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria said the new variant has the potential of developing “immunoescape mechanisms” which may lead to a decreased efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, adding, that the efficacy of vaccines including those in use in India needs to be evaluated “critically”.