India Covid Quarantine Rules: 7-day home quarantine for all international arrivals, test to be done on 8th day; ‘at-risk’ countries list expanded | India Business News

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Friday mandated all international arrivals in India from ‘non at-risk’ countries to home quarantine for 7 days.
Passengers coming from ‘at-risk’ countries and testing negative on arrival will also need to do the same.
The Centre also updated its list of ‘at-risk’ countries.
It includes — countries in Europe including UK, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Ghana, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Hong Kong, Israel, Congo, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Nigeria, Tunisia and Zambia.
The list is updated regularly based on the “prevalent epidemiological situation of Covid-19 in these countries including circulation of variants of concern,” the ministry said.
The countries added to the list include Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tunisia, Zambia and Kazakhstan.
Further, travelers will need to undergo an RT-PCR test on the 8th day of arrival and upload results of the same on Air Suvidha portal.
If results are negative, they will further need to self-monitor their health for 7 more days. And if positive, their samples will be sent for genomic testing at INSACOG laboratory network.
The infected persons will be treated at isolation facilities and contact tracing done.
The Union health ministry implemented stricter arrival norms for those coming from non at-risk countries. Passengers from at-risk countries will continue to be tested on arrival and allowed to leave the airport or take a connecting flight after getting a negative report from the same. However, they too will need to home quarantine for a week and undergo RT-PCR test on 8th day.
“The existing guidelines have been revised in view of reporting of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.1.529; named Omicron) which has been classified as Variant of Concern by the World Health Organization,” the health ministry order said.
The other rules remain the same in terms of pre-departure information and requirement to download Aarogya Setu App. Two per cent arrivals from non at risk countries selected on random basis will undergo post-arrival testing at the airport.