Indian Health Ministry Issues New Norms For International Travelers

On Thursday, the Indian government’s Ministry of Health released new regulations for overseas travelers amid mounting alarm over a fresh Covid epidemic, with instances rising in China, the US, Brazil, South Korea, and Japan.

The amended regulations, including protocols that international travelers and points of entry (airports, seaports, and land borders) must follow, will be in force from December 24, 2022, until further orders are issued. Overseas travelers planning to travel by availing of cheap flights to India must adhere to these norms.

Making Travel Plans

Ideally, all travelers should receive complete immunization following their country’s approved primary immunization schedule against COVID-19.

During Travel

At all points of entry, there must be an in-flight warning about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including the precautions passengers should take (preferably wearing a mask and maintaining physical separation).

Any passenger displaying COVID-19 symptoms while traveling must undergo isolation following established practice. This practice includes requiring the passenger to wear a mask, separating them from other passengers during the flight or transit, and subsequently transferring them to an isolation center for further care.

On Arrival

• Passengers should complete de-boarding upon arrival while maintaining a physical distance.
• Health professionals at the point of entry should conduct thermal screening for each passenger.
• If passengers display symptoms during screening, authorities must promptly transport them to a recognized medical facility and segregate them in accordance with the mentioned health procedures.

Post-arrival, the following protocol must also be followed:

• At the airport after the arrival of passengers on cheap flights to India, a subset (2% of the total flight passengers) must submit to a random post-arrival test.
• The concerned airlines will identify these passengers on each journey (preferably from different countries). After submitting the samples, authorities will permit them to exit the airport.
• If the samples of these travelers test positive, the authorities should send their samples to the INSACOG laboratory network for additional genetic testing.
• In accordance with the established standard protocol, authorities must handle or separate them.
• All travelers should keep track of their health after arriving and should go to the nearest medical institution or call the national hotline number (1075) or state helpline number if any symptoms arise.

Random Examinations in Airports

• Mansukh Mandaviya, India’s health minister, said in an address to Parliament earlier in the day that the government has begun a two percent random sample of foreign visitors and may consider making it mandatory for all visitors if necessary.

After making a suo moto declaration in the Rajya Sabha regarding the most recent COVID-19 situation and India’s preparation, he made the comments in response to questions from some opposition MPs.