Centre issues guidelines for International Arrivals in India

Issuing fresh guidelines for international passengers arriving into India, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) Sunday made a seven-day institutional quarantine mandatory for travellers, followed by home isolation for another 7 days.

Exceptions will be given in a few cases — human distress, pregnancy, death in family, serious illness and parents accompanied by children below 10 years of age. They will be asked to self-isolate at home for 14 days. The new set of guidelines will come into place from August 8.

To seek such exemptions, passengers would have to apply to the online portal at least 72 hours before boarding, after which the government will take a final call.

According to the new



guidelines, travellers may also seek exemption from institutional quarantine by submitting a negative RTPCR test report on arrival. This test should have been conducted within 96 hrs prior to undertaking the journey.

However, states are allowed to develop their own protocol with regard to quarantine and isolation as per their assesment of passengers post arrival.

Besides, only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to board the flight or ship after thermal screening. Passengers arriving through land borders will also have to undergo the same protocol, and only those who are asymptomatic will be enabled to cross the border into India. A list of dos and don’ts would also be provided along with the ticket by the agencies they were travelling with.