Coronavirus: Ministry of Health issues revised guidelines for international arrivals

International air travelers arriving in India can now skip the mandatory institutional quarantine by submitting a negative RT-PCR report on arrival, said the revised guidelines issued by the Health Ministry on Sunday.

The ‘Guidelines for International Arrivals’ state that this RT-PCR test should be conducted within 96 hours prior to undertaking the journey and upload the report on the online portal – www.newdelhiairport.in.

For latest updates on Coronavirus outbreak, click here

“Each passenger shall also submit a declaration with respect to authenticity of the report and will be liable for criminal prosecution, if found otherwise,” the guidelines said.

The test report could also be produced upon arrival at the point of airport entry in India, the guidelines said.

The guidelines, first issued on May 24, also mandate all travellers to submit self-declaration form on the online portal (www.newdelhiairport.in) at least 72 hours before the scheduled travel.

However, travelers without the negative RT-PCR report should also give an undertaking on the portal that they would undergo mandatory quarantine for 14 days i.e. 7 days paid institutional quarantine at their own cost, followed by 7 days isolation at home with self-monitoring of health, the order stated, the guidelines said.

“Only for compelling reasons/ cases of human distress such as pregnancy, death in family, serious illness and parent(s) with children of the age of 10 years or below, home quarantine may be permitted for 14 days,” the guidelines said.