Passengerstravelling from the United Kingdom to India from January 8 to 31 will now besubjected to mandatory self-paid RT-PCR test at the airport, the HealthMinistry said on Saturday.
Flightservices between the two countries were suspended on December 22 in the wake ofa more infectious coronavirus strain found in UK's population. Th services willresume on January 6. This strain has so far been detected in over 29 travellersin India.
Accordingto the standard operating procedure issued by the health ministry, thosetravelling between January 8 and 31, would be mandatorily subjected toself-paid RT-PCR tests on arrival at the Indian airports concerned.
"Adequatearrangements for passengers waiting for their RT-PCR test as well as testresults duly following effective isolation may also be made at the airports inconjunction with the airport authorities," the guidelines added.
Passengerswill have to submit self-declaration form on the online portal,www.newdelhiairport.in, at least 72 hours before the travel and also carrynegative RT-PCR test with them. Airlines are tasked with ensuring availability ofnegative test before allowing the passenger on board.
Passengerswho test positive at the airport will be isolated in an institutional isolationfacility in an isolation unit coordinated by the State Health Authorities. Theywould earmark specific facilities for such isolation and treatment and takenecessary action to send the positive samples for genome sequencing.
Aftergenome sequencing, if the report is consistent with the current virus genomecirculating in the country, the ongoing treatment protocol including homeisolation or treatment will be followed.
"Ifthe genomic sequencing indicates the presence of new variant of SARS-CoV-2 thenthe patient will continue to remain in a separate isolation unit. The patientshall be tested on 14th day, after having tested positive in the initial test.The patient will be kept in the isolation facility till his sample is testednegative," the SOP stated.
Thosewho are found negative on testing with RT-PCR at the airport would be advisedquarantine at home for 14 days and regularly followed up by the concerned Stateand District Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme.
Thecentral government on Friday said that four more cases of the mutant Covid UKstrain have been detected in the country, taking the total tally of such casesto 29 so far. They are kept in physical isolation in health facilities.
Notably,the new UK variant has already been reported by Denmark, Netherlands,Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan,Lebanon and Singapore.
FromNovember 25 to December 23 midnight, about 33,000 passengers disembarked atvarious Indian airports from the UK. All these passengers are being tracked andsubjected by states and UTs to RT-PCR tests.