The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India has issued a new set of SOPs for the international travelers coming to India. These SOPs will come to effect from the 14th of February.
While planning for the travel
a. All travelers should take the following steps before coming.
- Submit complete and factual information in self-declaration form on the Air Suvidha portal before the scheduled travel, including details of the last 14 days of travels.
- Upload a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report not older than 72 hrs before undertaking the journey. Or a certificate of completing full primary vaccination schedule of any registered COVID-19 vaccination.
- Every passenger will submit a declaration with respect to authenticity of the report and will be liable for criminal prosecution, if found otherwise.
b. Passengers must give an undertaking on the portal or to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, through the airline before they are allowed to undertake the journey that they would abide by the decision of the appropriate government authority any post arrival requirement to undergo home/ institutional quarantine/ self-health monitoring as per the regulations.
Before Boarding the Flight
- A list of the do’s and don’ts will be provided along with ticket to all the travelers by the airlines or agencies concerned.
- Airlines to allow boarding by only those passengers who have filled in all the information in the Self Declaration Form on the Air Suvidha portal and uploaded the negative RT-PCR test report or Covid -19 vaccination certificate of having completed the vaccination schedule.
- Only asymptomatic travelers will be allowed to board after thermal screening.
- All passengers shall be advised to download the Aarogya Setu app on their mobile devices.
Steps to be taken during the Flight
- In-flight announcement about COVID-19 including safety measures to be followed will be made at the airports and in flights and during the transit.
- During in-flight crew shall ensure that COVID appropriate behavior is maintained at all times.
- If any passenger reports symptoms of COVID-19 during flight, he/she will be isolated as per protocol.
- Proper in-flight announcements must be made by the airlines regarding the testing requirements at the airports and people who need to undergo testing to avoid any congestion at the arrival airports.
Steps to be taken on Arrival in India
- De-boarding the flight should be done ensuring proper physical distancing.
- Thermal screening would be carried out for all the passengers by the health officials present at the airport. The self-declaration form filled online shall be shown to the airport health staff.
- The passengers found to be symptomatic during screening shall be immediately isolated and taken to medical facility as per existing health protocol.
- If tested positive, their contacts shall be identified and managed as per the existing protocol.
- The following protocols will have to be followed post arrival
- A sub-section (2% of the total passengers in the flight) shall undergo random post arrival testing at the airport on arrival.
- Such travelers in each flight shall be identified by the concerned airlines (preferably from different countries). They will submit the samples and shall be allowed to leave the airport.
- If such travelers are tested positive, their samples should be further sent for genomic testing at INSACOG laboratory network.
- They will be treated or isolated as per laid down standard protocol.
- All international travelers will self-monitor their health for next 14 days of arrival.
- If travelers under self-health monitoring, develop signs and symptoms suggestive of COVID 19, they will immediately self-isolate and report to their nearest health facility or call National Helpline number (1075) or State Helpline Number.
International Travelers arriving through Sea and Land Routes
- International travelers arriving through sea or land ports will also have to undergo the same protocol as above, except that facility for online registration is not available for such passengers currently.
- Such travelers will submit the self-declaration form to the concerned authorities of Government of India at sea land routes on arrival.
