New International Travel Rule: Centre Relaxes Guidelines For Children Under 5 – Check Details
Union Health Ministry has issued fresh guidelines for international travel amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in many countries.
The travel guidelines will come into effect from November 12 and remain valid till further orders. The new guidelines exempt children under the age of 5 from undergoing pre-and post-arrival COVID-19 testing at the airport.
However, the Health Ministry standard operating procedure says that if any child travelling is found symptomatic on arrival or during the home quarantine period, he/she will have to undergo testing and will be treated as per the COVID-19 protocol. It is believed that the new travel guidelines will boost tourism and international flights.
The new rules also state that those travellers who test positive during the home quarantine period will be subjected to quarantine for 14 days and will be tested as per the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) protocol. Furthermore, the Health Ministry directive says contacts of the suspect case are the co-passengers seated in the same row, three rows in the front and three rows behind, along with identified cabin crew.
Those who are fully vaccinated and coming from a country with mutual acceptance of WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines will be allowed to leave the airport.
Such travellers can skip home quarantine and COVID-19 testing. However they need to self monitor their health for 14 days post-arrival to the country.
If the travellers are partially or not vaccinated, then they have to submit samples for the post-arrival COVID-19 testing at the point of arrival.
During home quarantine, if a traveller develops symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 or tests positive, will self-isolate and report to the nearest health facility.
The new rule states that the self-declaration form filled online by the international travellers shall be shown to the airport health staff.
The passengers found to be symptomatic during screening at the airport shall be immediately isolated and taken to a medical facility.