Domestic flights set to resume under quarantine shadow

Domestic flights are set to resume operations on Monday under the shadow of stiff restrictions by states asking all travellers to follow strict home quarantine to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

After much persuasion by the Centre, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray decided to allow 25 flights every day into Mumbai, which is the worst-hit city by the COVID-19 outbreak.

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Karnataka has decided to put every incoming domestic flight passenger from six high-prevalence states – Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh – under institutional quarantine for seven days while advising home isolation of 14 days for those arriving from other states.

West Bengal, which was ravaged by Cyclone Amphan last week, has asked the Centre to defer resumption of domestic flights to Kolkata and Bagdogra airports to May 28.

The Union Health Ministry on Sunday issued uniform guidelines for domestic travel with advice to asymptomatic travellers to monitor their health for 14 days after completion of their journey.

However, it had left it to the states to develop their own protocols for quarantine and isolation as per their assessment.

Delhi government has decided to follow the guidelines issued by the Union government.

States such as Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Odisha, Punjab have also decided to place passengers under home quarantine for 14 days. However, Odisha and Kerala have made exemptions from quarantine for those who plan to exit the state within 72 hours. In UP, short duration stay is allowed for seven days, provided the passenger gives details of his or her return journey.

Short duration passengers will be asked to self-monitor their health and report to district authorities in case of any COVID-19 symptoms. Punjab has exempted frequent travelers such as salespersons, transporters, doctors, journalists from quarantine requirements.

Himachal Pradesh has decided to allow only residents with valid address proof to enter the state, while sending the non-residents of the state to quarantine facilities.

The Assam government has made it mandatory for all passengers coming to the state to stay under quarantine for 14 days.

Neighbouring Meghalaya, which relies on Guwahati for air and rail connectivity, has decided not to grant permissions to pick up passengers arriving by rail or air till June 10 as they have to undergo health protocols set by the state government. Such passengers will be taken to Shillong or Tura for testing in buses arranged by the government and kept in institutional quarantine till the results are known.

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 seven days of institutional quarantine at their own cost, followed by seven days of home isolation with self-monitoring of health.