The Union Health Ministry on Sunday issued separate guidelines for domestic air, train and inter-state travel and international arrivals.
With the commencement of domestic flights from May 25, the Health Ministry in its guidelines for domestic travel has said the agencies concerned will provide dos and don’ts along with tickets to the travellers, all passengers will have to download Aarogya Setu app, states and UTs will ensure that all passengers undergo thermal screening at point of departure and passengers will use face mask.
For international arrivals, the Ministry said before boarding the passengers will give an undertaking that they would undergo mandatory quarantine for 14 days- 7 days paid institutional quarantine at their own cost, followed by 7 days isolation at home with self-monitoring of health. Home quarantine for 14 days will be permitted only for exceptional and compelling reasons such as cases of human distress, pregnancy, death in family, serious illness and parents accompanied by children below 10 years as assessed by the receiving states. Use of Aarogya Setu app shall be mandatory in such cases.
At the time of boarding the flight or ship, only asymptomatic travellers will be allowed to board after thermal screening. Passengers arriving through the 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.
Suitable precautionary measures such as environmental sanitation and disinfection shall be ensured at the airports and within the flights.
For domestic travel and international arrivals there are certain common provisions. The ministry said asymptomatic passengers will be permitted to go with the advice that they shall self-monitor their health for 14 days. In case, they develop any symptoms they shall inform the district surveillance officer or the state or national call centre (1075). Those found symptomatic will be isolated and taken to the nearest health facility. They will be assessed for clinical severity at the health facility. Those having moderate or severe symptoms will be admitted to dedicated COVID-19 health facilities and managed accordingly.
However, those having mild symptoms will be given the option of home isolation or isolated in the Covid Care Centre (both public and private facilities) as appropriate and tested as per Indian Council of Medical Research protocol available. If positive, they will continue in Covid Care Centre and will be managed as per clinical protocol.
If negative, the passenger may be allowed to go home, isolate himself or herself and self-monitor health for further 7 days. In case any symptoms develop they shall inform the district surveillance officer or the state or national call centre.
