Government may make negative RT-PCR report must for passengers from six countries

“Previously, it has been noticed that a new Covid-19 wave hits India around 30-35 days after it hits East Asia… . This has been a trend,” an official said.

The sources said filling up of ‘air suvidha’ forms and RT-PCR testing within 72 hours ahead of arrival in the country may be made mandatory from next week for passengers from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore.

The sources said 39 international passengers were found positive for Covid-19 out of the 6,000 tested on arrival in the last two days.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will visit the airport in Delhi on Thursday to take stock of testing and screening facilities there, they said.

Also read: India is watching out for XBB.1.5

Four in Tamil Nadu tests positive

Meanwhile, four international passengers tested positive for Covid-19 at two international airports in Tamil Nadu.

A mother and her six-year-old daughter, who returned from China via Colombo, tested positive at the Madurai airport on Tuesday, 27 December.

Two others, who returned from Dubai and Cambodia, tested positive at the Chennai airport on Wednesday, 28 December, the minister said.

Also read: Why are genome sequencing and constant monitoring still important?

Guidelines may be tightened

The proposed tightening of Covid-19 guidelines and warning of a surge comes days after Health Minister Mandaviya asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to consider suspending the Bharat Jodo Yatra if Covid-19 protocols could not be followed.

The yatra, currently on a winter break, will resume on January 3.

Amid a spike in Covid-19 cases in some countries, including China and South Korea, the government has sounded an alert and asked all states and Union territories to prepare for any eventuality.

Following the surge, the government made random coronavirus testing mandatory for two percent of passengers arriving on each international flight from Saturday, 24 December.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Health Minister Mandaviya have held meetings to assess the country’s preparedness to deal with a fresh surge in cases.

Mock drills were held at health facilities across India on Tuesday, 27 December, to check operational readiness to deal with any spurt in Covid-19 infection, with the Union health minister saying the country has to remain alert and prepared as cases are rising in the world.

The latest spike in cases is being driven by the Omicron sub-variant, BF.7.

Official sources said the transmissibility of the BF.7 sub-variant is high. A person infected with the sub-variant can further infect 16 persons.

(With PTI inputs)