India makes negative RT-PCR report must for passengers from 6 countries from 1 January

This requirement is in addition to the random testing of international passengers on their arrival in India irrespective of their port of departure.

“RT-PCR test has been made mandatory for flyers coming from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand from 1st January 2023. They will have to upload their reports on the Air Suvidha portal before travel [sic],” tweeted Madaviya.

RT-PCR test has been made mandatory for flyers coming from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand from 1st January 2023. They will have to upload their reports on the Air Suvidha portal before travel.

— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) December 29, 2022

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Last week, the government made random Covid-19 testing mandatory for 2 percent of passengers arriving on each international flight.

Many countries, including the US, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Italy, have already announced testing requirements for passengers from China.

The government ramped up its surveillance against Covid-19 amid a spike in cases in some countries, including China, and tightened Covid-19 guidelines and asked states and Union Territories to prepare for any eventuality.

According to the Union Health Ministry data on Thursday, India recorded 268 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases increased to 3,552.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.11 percent, while the weekly positivity was pegged at 0.17 percent, according to the ministry.

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Meanwhile, a 37-year-old businessman from Salem in Tamil Nadu, who returned from China via Singapore, has tested positive for Covid-19.

According to Coimbatore Airport Director S Senthil Valavan, he landed at the airport on 27 December and was subjected to RT-PCR tests, which returned positive.

This is the third case of international passengers from China testing positive for Covid-19 in Tamil Nadu, after a mother and her six-year-old daughter tested positive at the Madurai international airport and were under home quarantine in their native Virudhunagar district.