Indira Gandhi International airport has suggested to start Covid 19 testing for international passengers on arrival. Those tested negative won't have to go for an institutional quarantine. Although, this proposition still needs to be approved by Indian Health Ministry.
As per current arrangement, International passengers arriving in India are being screened for corona symptoms and need to go for institutional quarantine for a week. If above stated proposal gets green light from union health ministry, flyers can be exempted from quarantine period only by tested negative.
"The government is considering establishing a COVID-19 testing facility at the Delhi airport. It takes around eight hours to get the results, which means the international passenger will have to remain at the airport premises for that duration," said a government official.
Special exemptions
As per Indian government, presently, a total of five categories of passengers are exempted from mandatory seven-day institutional quarantine -- pregnant women; those who have suffered death in the family; those suffering from serious illness; parents accompanying children below 10 years of age; those who have COVID-negative certificate from a test done 96 hours prior to their travel.
"The testing facility at the Delhi airport would be for those international passengers who do not have such a COVID-negative certificate and still want to avoid institutional quarantine," said another government official.
Also Read: Trump pushes to reopen schools despite rising Covid-19 cases in the US
India resumed domestic passenger flights from May 25 after a gap of two months due to the coronavirus pandemic. The airlines have been allowed to operate only a maximum of 45 per cent of their pre-COVID domestic flights. The aviation sector has been significantly impacted due to the travel restrictions imposed in India and other countries in view of the coronavirus pandemic.