Traveling to India during Omicron Covid 19? Know these rules and regulations before you pack your bag
Humanity has survived the most dangerous wave of Covid 19. It is as if corona witnessed a strong will and strength to divert its course to another planet.
If we personified covid, the pandemic on entering India would say to himself- ‘ Finally a worthy Opponent, Our battle will be Legendary’.
And so, it has been.
From the devastating scenes of lack of oxygen to billions of people getting vaccinated, the battle has truly been fabulous. Such has been the strength of our people that the new wave of Omicron did not disturb our mental as well as metabolic strength.
From a slight risk of rise in cases, we are now witnessing decline in cases regularly. Under such circumstances, the air travel has seen lots of amendments under the Indian airport quarantine rules. Read on to see if there is some relaxation under this category in case you are traveling to visit the country.
Latest general guidelines
In the latest guidelines issued by the government of India, the clause for staying at an isolation facility that was mandated upon arrival from a foreign country has been lifted.
In case any traveler is found symptomatic, he or she will be immediately isolated and will be taken to a genuine local health facility.
People who are found positive on arrival will be identified and their contacts will be managed as per the protocols. These were the guidelines for Indian travelers.
If you are from another country and found positive on arrival, you will have to undergo home quarantine for a week. Such people will have to take an RT-PCR test on the 8th day even if they test negative on arrival.
International relaxation for India
Out of all the nations, Canada has given immense relaxations for testing against the pandemic. This is a big relief for travelers from IndiaOfficial news was implemented from January 28, 2022.
Ones who are taking direct or a one-stop flight from India need not carry an RT-PCR test at the Delhi airport. This was to be shown as per earlier guidelines within 18 hours of the report.
Canadian government will still need the usual RT-PCR test report that is to be approved from an ICMR lab. Travelers who are fully vaccinated have to upload the details about vaccination and other information on the ArriveCanofficial app or the website.
In another news, Singapore has also revealed some positive updates for Indian travel. The country has restarted the vaccinated travel lane with Indian airlines. This flight will allow people to travel to Singapore without any quarantine. These flights will operate on limited routes and there will be a restricted amount of seats given to travelers.
Following this is the latest update for international travel which if you are from India and fully vaccinated, you can easily travel to UK, Vietnam, Israel, Satin Lucia, Singapore, Cyprus, and Thailand.
Guidelines for Delhi Airport
There has been a series of guidelines issued by various state governments. When traveling to Delhi airport, an institutional quarantine of 7 days for all international passengers is mandatory.
A good thing is that you can enjoy isolation at a government facility at no charge. However, you can also seek paid quarantine at hotels designated by the state government.
After a week of home quarantine, a post institutional quarantine of 7 days is required.
If the passenger is not having any symptoms, he or she will be permitted to travel further with proper healthcare advice given by the professionals at the airport. For such passengers, covid testing is not mandatory.
One obligation to take note of is the downloading of the Arogya Setu app by every passenger.
As far as the Delhi airport obligations are concerned, various Omicron precautionary measures are to be taken including awareness programs and announcements at the airport.
A passenger should always go through thermal screening which is still a mandate at all entry or exit points of the airport.
Read more: A Complete Guide to the Restricted Items on Air India and General Queries
Guidelines for Mumbai Airport
The eyes of international travelers have been on Mumbai airport since the Omicron arrived in India. Are we yet to see any relaxation in guidelines? Let’s see what is the recent updates in the state policies.
An institutional quarantine period of 7 days is still in force as per the government of Maharashtra. For international passengers, another 7 days is required.
If you are returning after more than a week’s duration from international travel, you need to undergo 14 days home quarantine period. However, if you are returning within 7 days of international travel, no quarantine is required.
As a passenger, you need to have Arogya Setup installed and you need to upload all the valid documentation upon arrival. If you are visiting Mumbai for a short journey or onward journey, you need to submit the details of the travel at the airport.
Passengers also need to share relevant details such as passenger list, arrival flight, destination address, mobile number, and other relevant details with the Nodal Officer in action over that period of time.
The airport has still mandated thermal checks as well as left hand stamping of passengers on arrival in Mumbai airport.
Guidelines for Bangalore Airport, Karnataka
Bangalore has been giving relaxation, acting as a better alternative to Delhi and Mumbai airports. Let’s see what government has to offer and cap under the regulatory roles.
A 7 days institutional period is mandated by the state government. This period is extended to 14 days for people who are coming from Maharashtra state.
If you are travelling from Maharashtra and have a business return ticket within 7 days, you need not follow the institutional quarantine period.
This applies only if you have a Covid negative test report relating to the test taken within 48 hours of travel. If you don’t have the test report, you will be kept in quarantine for 2 days and you have to undertake the test at your own expense. Passengers can proceed normally given the report is negative.
As for passengers coming from all other parts, 14 days of quarantine is mandated.
However, passengers may be exempted in certain cases such as:
- Pregnant women,
- Senior citizens,
- Children below 10 years of age,
- Critically ill patients, and
- If the passenger is facing a death in family
Upon arrival, the passengers need to have Seva-Sindhu pass with him. One can download this pass from the official website of the Seva Sindhu.
A self-declaration form should be filled in by the patient, provided by the government of Karnataka. During airport checking, e-pass will be checked along with the Seva Sindhu pass.
Also Read: List of Nonstop Flights from USA to India
Conclusion
There are various guidelines that apply to various other states of India under the Indian airport quarantine rules. While above mentioned airports were the most prominent ones to look forward to, one can check other guidelines too in the upcoming or previous updates under our blog.
An important thing to note is that one should not worry about obligations. If one follows the guidelines, be aware of the terms and adhere to the norms of the Indian government, he or she can travel easily from an international country.
Always remember that these guidelines might look obligatory, but they are meant for the greater good of humanity. Follow them and you will lend a hand in avoiding the spread of the pandemic again.
