TUESDAY, MAY 07, 2024
NAVIN JHA
DABOLIM: Following the revised directions from the union Health Ministry and amidst growing concerns of the new Covid-Omicron variant, the Goa airport authority have tightened rules. Now passengers which are coming from nations at risk including UK will have to go mandatory RTPCR, which was not the case earlier and now compulsory under the new guidelines.
As per information, the Union Health Ministry on Sunday revised the guidelines for the international arrivals in the wake of new Covid variant, Omicron -- designated as a Variant of Concern (VOC) by the World Health Organization (WHO). The new guidelines will be effective from December 1. The government said that international arrivals will now have to upload their 14-day travel history and valid negative RT-PCR test reports on Air Suvidha portal before embarking on their journey to India. The RT-PCR test report should not be more than 72 hours old, added the statement.
In an exclusive interview with Herald, Goa airport Director Gagan Malik said “We have received instructions yesterday(Sunday) night that all the passengers which are coming from nations at risk including UK will have to go mandatory RTPCR, which was not the case earlier and now compulsory under the new guidelines,” Malik said
He further added that “If anybody is found positive then he has to go for institution quarantine. Besides that, Govt of India has emphasized that all the test samples which has been taken and those who are found positive, those samples should be mandatorily sent for genome sequence to check about the variant. In addition, the nations which are not on risk list, a random RTPCR check would me done on even those passengers. Earlier, they were not being tested but now 5 percent, randomly selected by airlines will subject to undergo RTPCR on arrival.”
When asked about the prospects of Charter tourism in state, Malik said “The situation of charter operations solely depends on the Covid situation worldwide. We have received request for 27 slots, we have even approved them, but it all depends whether they will fly in or not, because Govt of India will now workout the new procedures for international tourist,” said Malik.
