New Guidelines for International Travel to India, Effective 24th December 2022

Posted on Dec 27th, 2022 by Arjun Sharma, Last updated on Dec 27th, 2022

As the fourth wave of Covid-19 has come to the fore, there are some new guidelines for travellers from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that were released on 21st December 2022. These new guidelines have been put in place to prevent the spread of the virus and ensure safe travel. Due to the ongoing rise in cases of Covid-19, it is highly advisable for you to follow these instructions. What they are? Let’s find out. 

Latest Guidelines For Travelling To India

• All overseas travellers entering India from December 24, 2022 would be subject to thermal screening.
• Preferably, all passengers should be completely immunised in accordance with the recommended primary schedule of vaccination against Covid.
• Individual travellers who exhibit symptoms during the screening will be transported to a specific medical facility for treatment.
• On arrival, 2% of each flight’s foreign passengers (chosen by the airport authorities and preferably from different nations) will be required to take the COVID-19 test. This will take place at random. However, these passengers won’t have to wait for the result. Once their sample has been taken, they will be free to depart.
• If the tests for these passengers are positive, their samples will be sent again for genetic testing at the INSACOG lab network.
• Post-arrival random testing is not applicable for children under the age of 12. However, if they are diagnosed with Covid symptoms upon arrival or during the self-monitoring period, they must undergo testing and receive the prescribed care.
• Any traveller with Covid symptoms must be quarantined in accordance with established protocol. The traveller should be wearing a mask, separated from other travellers during the flight or transit, and then transferred to an isolation facility for further treatment.
• All travellers should self-monitor their health post-arrival and report to their nearest health facility or call the National helpline number (1075) / State Helpline Number in case they have any symptoms suggestive.
• As released on 24 Dec 2022, passengers from 5 countries (China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Hong Kong) will need to produce RT-PCR test results on arrival in India. If tested positive (either in reports or under the 2% random-tetsing protocol), they will be asked to quarantine. 

Why Are These Measures Required?

Due to the increasing number of covid-19 cases in these countries, standard operating procedures need to be followed to control the surge of Omicron subvariant BF.7. Cases of this variant are rising even in India too. As a proverb says, “Prevention is better than cure”. That is why these measures are necessary to follow:-

• According to GOI’s standard operating procedure, every traveller must wear masks, and avoid large gatherings in India.
• A minimum social distance of 6 feet is required in public places to prevent any transfer of bacteria. 
• Wash your hands properly with soap before shaking hands with anyone or meeting anyone personally.
• Always prefer to avoid unnecessary travel during these times of pandemic and stay at home.
• There must be rigorous adherence to respiratory etiquette. This entails adhering to the stringent habit of covering one’s mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing with a tissue, handkerchief, or bent elbow and correctly discarding used tissues.
• Make sure that you are properly vaccinated with both the doses as well as a booster dose to prevent yourself from the infection.
• Always carry your face masks, and hand sanitisers with you before going outside of your home or doing any international travel.

Situation And Cases Of Covid 19 In China

China eased the rules for RT-PCR tests in early December 2022. That is the reason there is a huge spike in covid 19 cases in China. The exact situation of the virus from the place where it has originated is as follows:-

• A sub-variant of the Omicron virus known as BF is the most prevalent virus strain in China (short for BA.5.2.1.7). The strain, which has been going around for a year, is very contagious and more infectious than any other variety.
• Education is returning online in China, and schools, colleges, and Universities are getting shut down. The situation is getting far from normal.
• There is a pharmaceutical shortage in hospitals due to the rising number of patients there. 

Measures Taken By Other Countries 

Because the situation is not much alarming right now, other countries have not taken any stringent measures against it. What’s in place are some necessary precautions that are being forwarded by the countries to their border officials to prevent any further transmission of disease and to manage the rising covid 19 cases.

• Singapore: Singapore has mandated the wearing of safety gear by all employees who interact with arriving passengers, including taxi drivers at airport stands. Face shields and N95 masks will be part of this.
• Thailand: The issue is under control, according to Thai health officials. They have also released a statement confirming that New Year’s celebrations will go as scheduled.

Measures Taken By The Airport Authorities To Control the Pandemic

• Proper Sanitization:- Every corner at the airport has been properly sanitized for the safety of passengers.
• Social Distancing with floor stickers:- To maintain proper social distancing, the airport authorities have pasted some stickers on the floor, so that everyone must stand in between them only.  
• Enhanced facilities at the airport:- Some enhanced facilities are available at the airport such as sanitization machines. 
• Contactless Check-in Experience:- There is a contactless check-in facility available at the airport to avoid any chances of infection to the airport staff and the passengers as well.
• Thermal Screening:- There is a thermal screening of all the passengers at the airport to check the body temperature of the passengers. 
• Contactless Printing Of Boarding Pass:- Printing of boarding passes is completely contactless. You need to just scan your details, get the boarding pass, and board the plane easily without standing in queues.

As your travel companion, MyTicketsToIndia takes it as a duty to tell passengers travelling internationally to India about the latest guidelines to ensure a hassle-free journey. A lot will continue to change so stay tuned for more updates. 
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However, for now, UAE to India flights will depart as normal and passengers won’t need to show RT-PCR tests. This test is mandatory only for international passengers coming to India from Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, China, and South Korea.

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