Travellers to India are exempted from the mandatory seven-day institutional quarantine if they submit a negative Covid-19 RT-PCR test report on arrival, effective 8th August.
This is in accordance with the revised guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health in India. However, the test should have been conducted maximum 96 hours prior to taking up the journey.
The new guidelines will get effective from 8th August. Passengers with a negative Covid-19 test result can remain in home quarantine for 14 days.
"The test report should be uploaded on the portal (www.newdelhiairport.in) for consideration. Each passenger shall also submit a declaration with respect to authenticity of the report and will be liable for criminal prosecution, if found otherwise. The test report could also be produced upon arrival at the point of entry airport in India," the ministry said in its revised guidelines.
The 14-day home quarantine is also open to passengers with compelling reasons, or cases of human distress such as pregnancy, death in the family, in case of serious illness and for parents with children below age of 10 years.
When in home quarantine if they develop any symptoms, they should inform the district surveillance officer or the state/national call centre at 1075.
On arrival at the Indian airport, the passengers who are exempted from institutional quarantine will have to submit the approval for the same to respective state counters on their cell phones.
The Indian government has granted the liberty to each state to develop their own protocol with regards to isolation and quarantine based on the post-arrival assessment of the passengers.
Meanwhile, passengers who have not sought exemption from paid quarantine can go to suitable institutional quarantine facilities to be arranged by the respective State/Union Territory Governments.
These passengers will have to remain under institutional quarantine for minimum of seven days, and will be tested as per ICMR protocol.
If tested positive, they will undergo clinical assessment. If they are asymptomatic/pre-symptomatic/very mild cases, they will be allowed home isolation, or will be isolated in the Covid Care Centre (public and private facilities) as necessary.
Indian has suspended international passenger flights until 31st August. The government has approved more than 2500 repatriation flights by foreign carriers to fly stranded passengers from India.
Guidelines to be followed when travelling from UAE to India
- All travellers are required to submit self-declaration form on the portal www.newdelhiairport.in at least 72 hours prior to scheduled travel.
- Submit an undertaking on the portal to undergo mandatory 14 days quarantine (seven days paid institutional quarantine at own cost, followed by seven days isolation at home with ‘self-monitoring’ of health).
- Travellers seeking exemption from paid institutional quarantine should apply online at www.newdelhiairport.in at least 72 hours prior to boarding. However, the decision taken by the government communicated on the online portal will be final.
- Downloading the contact tracing app ‘Arogya Setu’ on your mobile devices is mandatory.
- Only asymptomatic travellers will be allowed to board flights after thermal screening.
