Starting January 1, seven days' home quarantine will be compulsory for international passengers from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand arriving at the Bengaluru and Mangaluru international airports. State Health Department issued the circular on this on Saturday, based on recommendations made by the Covid Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) on Friday. Karnataka is currently the only state to implement this rule.
Maharashtra on Saturday reported 30 fresh Covid-19 cases, taking the overall tally to 81,36,663, as per a health department report.
A pre-departure RT-PCR negative test report will be mandatory from January 1, 2023 for passengers coming in all international flights from China, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Japan.
Credit: PTI
President Xi Jinping said Saturday the "light of hope is right in front of us" as China faces an explosion of Covid-19 cases after an abrupt lifting of restrictions.
"Epidemic prevention and control is entering a new phase... Everyone is working resolutely, and the light of hope is right in front of us," Xi said in a televised address for the New Year.
Credit: AFP
New Year's Eve in China prompted an outpouring of reflection online, some of it critical, about the strict zero-Covidpolicy the country adhered to for almost three years.
China this month scrapped repeated mass testing, centralised quarantine for infected people, and lockdowns, the hallmarks of a policy aimed at eradicating all outbreaks of Covid-19.
The sudden change to live with the virus has prompted a wave of infections across the country, a drop in economic activity and international concern, with Britain and France the latest countries to impose curbs on travellers from China.
Credit: Reuters