Photo for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

All foreign travelers arriving in India will be subject to thermal screening at its international airports beginning on December 24 at 10:00 am local time (8:30 am UAE time). In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued updates on the guidelines for international arrivals. The current recommendations are being revised in light of the rising COVID-19 cases in some nations worldwide. According to the ministry, all international travelers and points of entry at airports, seaports, and land borders must adhere to these protocols. Travel planning: • It is preferable for all travelers to receive the entire course of vaccinations recommended by their nation's COVID-19 vaccine. While Traveling: • In-flight announcement about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including preventive measures to be followed. Preferably, use facemasks and follow physical distancing at all points of entry. • Any passenger exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms while traveling must be isolated following standard protocol. This means that the affected passenger must be separated from other passengers during the flight or travel and then transferred to an isolation facility for further care. Upon arrival: • De-boarding should be done while maintaining a physical distance. • The health officials on duty should conduct thermal screening on each passenger at the point of entry. • Passengers who exhibit symptoms during screening must be immediately isolated and taken to a specified medical facility under health protocol. Additionally, the following guidelines must be followed: • Upon arrival at the airport, a subset (2% of the total number of passengers on the flight) must submit to a random post-arrival test. • Passengers on each flight shall be recognized by the relevant airlines (preferably from different nations). After submitting the samples, they will be permitted to leave the airport. • If such travelers' samples are positive, they should be sent to the INSACOG laboratory network for additional genomic testing. • They must be handled/isolated under the established standard protocol. • After arriving, all travelers should self-monitor their health. They should also go to the nearest medical facility or dial the national or state helpline number if they experience any symptoms. • Post-arrival random testing is not required for kids under the age of 12. However, if symptoms of COVID-19 are discovered upon arrival or during the self-monitoring period, they must submit to testing and receive treatment following established protocol. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over a high-level meeting to assess the COVID-19 situation in the nation. The meeting "reviewed preparedness of health infrastructure and logistics, status of the vaccination campaign in the country, the emergence of new COVID-19 variants and their public health implications for the country," according to an official readout of the meeting. BKM/ Expat Media
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