Friday, December 24, 2021

Omicron fallout: Domestic arrivals at IGIA from high Covid case states to be randomly tested now

New Delhi: Domestic travellers flying into Delhi from states reporting high Covid cases will now be randomly tested at the airport and they will be allowed leave after giving their sample. Passengers who test positive will need to quarantine at home or a dedicated Covid centre for 10 days. These are among the heightened surveillance steps that will be taken at Delhi Airport in wake of the Omicron surge, according to the Union aviation ministry. The surge in cases may also bring back suspension of serving/selling inflight meals and beverages by airlines.

“Thermal screening will be done for all passengers upon arrival. If you are travelling on a connecting flight and not leaving the airport in transit station then please refer to the detailed guidelines of the respective final destination arrival state…. All passengers must download Aarogya Setu App,” the ministry tweeted state-wise regulations for Delhi.

The random testing requirement for domestic arrivals in Delhi was Tweeted on Thursday evening. Clarity is still awaited on who will conduct this test and whether selected passengers will need to pay for the same. Airport sources say they are trying to get the logistical details for the new requirements for domestic passengers.

The 2% of international arrivals from non-at-risk countries who are randomly selected for RT-PCR tests, for instance, are not required to pay for the same and that cost is borne by the airport operator.

Meanwhile, airline officials say Omicron domestic air traffic has recovered somewhat after a “very bad” impact in the first two weeks of this month following the news of Omicron breaking out in November-end. “Forward bookings to travel beyond 15 days have dropped by about 10% after the new variant’s scare. Fewer people are booking in advance due to the uncertainty,” airline officials say.

23/12/21 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India


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