Monday 20 / May / 2024
Muscat: It just got a lot easier for people travelling from Oman to India following the scrapping of the rule requiring passengers to submit mandatory PCR test results before boarding their flights.
From 14 February onwards, passengers to India no longer need to take mandatory PCR tests if they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Passengers, however, still need to fill in the Air Suvidha self-declaration form wherein they will upload their passport and flight details, vaccination certificate and contact information.
Although the space to upload PCR tests has been marked with an asterisk, Delhi Airport has confirmed that passengers can indeed fill in their self-declaration forms without uploading the test results.
“We request you to ignore the asterisk sign and submit the Self Declaration Form,” said Delhi Airport on social media in reply to a passenger’s query “In case you get some error after clicking on the ‘submit’ option, please do tell us.”
“There are countries which have agreements with India on mutual recognition of vaccination certificates of nationally recognised or WHO- recognised vaccines,” said the ministry guidelines. “Similarly, there are countries which presently do not have such an agreement with India, but they exempt Indian citizens fully vaccinated with nationally recognised or WHO recognised vaccines.
“On the basis of reciprocity, travellers from only such countries which provide quarantine-free entry to Indians will be allowed relaxation from a full primary vaccination schedule of COVID-19 vaccinations,” added the ministry.
Airlines are to allow boarding of only those passengers who have filled in all the information in the self-declaration form on the Air Suvidha portal and have uploaded the negative RT-PCR test report or COVID-19 vaccination certificate of having completed the primary vaccination schedule. At the time of boarding the flight, only asymptomatic travellers will be allowed to board after thermal screening.
On arrival, flight operators are expected to disembark passengers while ensuring physical distancing. Thermal screening is to be carried out by airport staff, to whom the completed self-declaration form should also be shown.
Passengers found to be symptomatic during screening shall be immediately isolated and taken to medical facilities, in keeping with health protocols. If tested positive, their contacts shall be identified and managed as per laid down protocols.
A sub-section stating that to two percent of the total number of passengers on board arriving flights shall undergo random post-arrival testing at the airport. Such travellers on each flight shall be identified by the airlines concerned, which will select passengers for random testing from a cross-section of nationalities, where possible. Once these passengers have submitted their samples, they will be allowed to leave the airport.
If such travellers test positive, their samples would be sent for genomic screening at the INSACOG laboratory network. These persons are to be treated/ isolated as per laid-down standard protocols.
All travellers must also self-monitor their health 14 days after their arrival. If travellers under self-health monitoring develop signs and symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, they must immediately self-isolate and report to their nearest health facility, or call the national helpline number (1075) or state helpline numbers.
International travellers arriving through seaports and land ports will also have to undergo the same protocol as above, except that facilities for online registration are not available for such passengers currently.
Such travellers shall submit their self-declaration form to the authorities concerned of the Government of India at seaports and land ports on arrival.
Vaccine certificates from 82 countries – including Oman – are accepted as valid in India. A full list of countries can be found here: https://www.newdelhiairport.in/pdf/List-of-Countries-10.02.2022-new-11-02-22.pdf
