Coronavirus Update: RT-PCR test mandatory for arrivals from China, 4 other nations

Gandhinagar (Gujarat): Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday announced that RT-PCR test has been made mandatory for passengers coming from five countries including China.

"The RT-PCR test to be mandatory for international arrivals from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand. On arrival, if any passenger from these countries is found symptomatic or tests positive for Covid-19 infection, then he/she will be put under quarantine," Health Minister Mandaviya said in a conversation with ANI.

He also said that the Air Suvidha form filling to declare the current health status will also be made compulsory for international passengers arriving from these Asian countries.

Taking note of the rising cases of COVID globally, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday said that the Centre and States need to work in "tandem" and in a "collaborative spirit" as was done during the previous surges.

Mandaviya, while chairing a virtual meeting Friday with the health ministers of the states, Principal Secretaries, Additional Chief Secretaries and Information Commissioners, said that the country needs to be on the alert and be fully prepared for COVID management.

The meeting was held in view of the recent upsurge in cases in some countries like China, Japan, Brazil and the United States in the presence of Union Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar, NITI Aayog member V K Paul to review the public health preparedness for containment and management of COVID-19 and progress of national COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

Manadaviya has also stressed the importance of public awareness campaigns regarding adherence to Covid-appropriate behaviour in view of the upcoming festive season.

He asked the State Health Ministers to personally monitor and review the preparedness of all infrastructure and ensure adequate stock of essential medicines.

Notably, Union Health Ministry has already issued "Operational Guidelines for Revised Surveillance Strategy in context of COVID-19" in June 2022 which calls for early detection, isolation, testing and timely management of suspected and confirmed cases to detect and contain outbreaks of new SARS-CoV-2 variants.

On Thursday Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told Parliament, India will start randomly testing two per cent of international passengers arriving at its airports for COVID-19 in view of rising cases of COVID in China and other countries.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed on Saturday morning informed that in the past 24 hours, India recorded 201 new COVID-19 infections.