Centre's advise for self-monitoring of health in uniform guidelines for domestic travel

On the eve of resumption of flights within the country, the Health Ministry on Sunday issued uniform guidelines for domestic travel with advice to asymptomatic travelers to monitor their health for 14 days after completion of their journey.

“States/UTs shall ensure that all passengers shall undergo thermal screening at the point of departure and only asymptomatic passengers are allowed to board the flight/bus/train,” the guidelines for domestic air, train, inter-state travel said.

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In separate guidelines for international arrivals, the Health Ministry reduced the period of mandatory institutional quarantine for air travelers from 14 days to seven days.

All passengers arriving from foreign destinations will now have to undergo a seven days of institutional quarantine at their own cost, followed by seven days of home isolation with self-monitoring of health.

“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, home quarantine may be permitted for 14 days,” the guidelines for international arrivals said.

The uniform guidelines were issued after Centre’s decision to not have mandatory quarantine for domestic air travelers came under criticism as migrant workers traveling by Shramik trains were subjected to compulsory quarantine at the destination.

The Ministry has left it to the states to develop their own protocols for quarantine and isolation as per their assessment.

Domestic passengers found to be symptomatic during screening (on return) shall be immediately isolated and taken to medical facility as per health protocol,” the guidelines said.

The guidelines for domestic travel also state that dos and dont’s shall be provided along with tickets to the travelers by the agencies concerned.

Suitable announcement about COVID-19, including precautionary measures to be followed shall be made at airports, railway stations and bus terminals as well as in flights, buses and trains, the guidelines said.

The Health Ministry also advised passengers to download the Arogya Setu application on their mobile devices and asked states to ensure thermal screening at departure point of airports, railway stations and bus terminals.