As the Centre discontinued the Air Suvidha form filling for international arrivals effective from Tuesday, the passengers arriving from foreign countries lauded the government's move stating that travelling has now become easier.

The Ministry's decision to discontinue the form filling on the Air Suvidha portal came in the wake of a decline in Covid-19 cases across the country.

New Delhi [India], January 7 (ANI): Amid a surge in the COVID-19 cases, the Central government on Friday announced a seven-day mandatory home quarantine for all international arrivals in the country.

Jammu Dec 22 PTI The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday reviewed the public health system preparedness for the new COVID-19 variant Omicron after detection of three cases here an official spokesman said Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta chaired a meeting to review the public health systems preparedness for the new variant which is reportedly three to four times more infectious than the Delta variant the spokesman said Three cases of Omicron variant were reported in Jammu on Tuesday all of whom are without any travel history and are now being monitored The Chief Secretary directed the district administration to enhance testing and contact tracing for positive patients and closely trace the infection trajectory to establish micro-containment zones at an early stage the spokesman said Additionally he said all Deputy Commissioners were directed to ensure strict enforcement of COVID-appropriate behaviour COVID-19 SOPs and protocols and micro-containment zones besides regulating large gatherings Any breach on these accounts will lead to imposition of night curfews and further restrictions Mehta added Moreover the spokesman said divisional and district administrations were asked to establish buffer zones around the declared micro-containment zones and monitor the spread of the disease to guide further actions All line departments were directed to appoint one nodal officer for ensuring COVID-appropriate behaviour adherence across all government offices with a special focus on industries and transport the spokesman said The health department was asked to remain in a state of readiness by gearing up their manpower and machinery and firming up the inventory of oxygen supply and medicines he said The health and medical education department was asked to ensure proper functioning of COVID-related infrastructure including COVID-19 dedicated hospitals ventilators oxygen supported beds and oxygen plants The department was also asked to monitor international travellers through the Air Suvidha portal and accordingly make COVID containment arrangements to regulate their testing quarantine and treatment in respective cases the spokesman said PTI TAS AB HDA

New Delhi Nov 30 PTI Amid concerns over Omicron variant of coronavirus the DDMA on Tuesday asked all concerned authorities to ensure strict compliance of the Centres revised guidelines for passengers arriving at Delhis IGI airport from high-risk countries including a mandatory seven-day home quarantineIn its order the Delhi Disaster Management Authority DDMA said the revised guidelines issued by the Union health ministry shall be valid from Wednesday till further ordersIn view of reporting of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 B11529 named Omicron the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had issued revised guidelines for international passengers on November 28 the DDMA saidAll authorities concerned shall ensure strict compliance of aforesaid GuidelinesSOP prescribed for International Arrivals issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government of India with effect from December 1 2021 till further orders and shall adequately inform and sensitise the field functionaries about these instructions for strict compliance in letter and spirit the order statedThe passengers arriving at the Indira Gandhi International Airport from high-risk countries where the incidence of the new Covid variant has been reported will be required to undergo seven-day home quarantine as per the Centres advisory it saidAccording to the revised guidelines of the Union health ministry passengers travelling from or transiting through at-risk countries will have to undergo RT-PCR test on arrival in India and will be required to wait for the results before leaving the airport or taking a connecting flightTravellers coming from countries other than those listed as at risk will be allowed to leave the airport and shall self-monitor their health for 14 days after arrival but five per cent of them will be randomly tested at the airport the revised guidelines statedThe concerned airlines should identify the five per cent of such travellers to be tested in each flight preferably from different countriesSuch travellers shall be escorted by the airlines or the Ministry of Civil Aviation authorities to the testing area on arrival and the cost of testing of such travellers shall be borne by the ministryThe guidelines said that airlines will allow boarding of only those passengers who have filled in the self-declaration form on the Air Suvidha portal and uploaded the negative RT-PCR test reportThis test should have been conducted within 72 hours prior to undertaking the journeyIn another order on Tuesday the DDMA extended permission for all activities except political cultural social religious sports entertainment and festival gatherings till December 15 PTI AKM VIT DIV DIV

New Delhi Nov 30 PTIUnderliningthat theOmicronvariant of SARS-CoV-2 does not escape RT-PCR and RAT tests the Centre on Tuesday advisedstates and UTs to ramp up testing and undertake effective surveillance of international passengers even as it asserted that no case of thenew variant has been found as yet in the country Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan chaired a high-level virtual meeting with states and UTs to review COVID-19 public health response measures and preparedness amid cases of Omicron variant of COVID19 being reported across various countries Reiterating that the revised guidelines and international travel advisories of the Union Health Ministry have been shared with the states Bhushan advisedstates not to let their guard down and keep a strict vigil on the international passengers coming to the country through various airports ports and land border crossings and stressed on strict monitoring of hotspots a health ministry statement said Also noting the critical role of vaccination as a powerful defence against COVID-19 NITI Aayog member Health Dr V K Paul saidthe Har Ghar Dastak vaccination campaign has been extended till 31st December with a focus on 100 percent first dose coverage and completing the backlog of second dose vaccination the statement said India has so far not reported any case of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya informed Parliament on Tuesday noting that the government has taken measures to ensure that it does not reach the country The Centre has issued an advisory after looking at the developments globally and is keeping a close watch at ports he said adding genome sequencing of suspected cases is also being done During the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha the minister said Omicron variant has been found in 14 countries now It is being studied here although it has not been reported in India At the meeting chaired by Bhushan the states were specially advised to undertakeeffective surveillance of international passengers Testing of samples of international travellers coming from At Risk countries on the first day and of specified category of passengers on the eighth day needs to be scrupulously done Bhushan stressed He said international passengers from at-risk countries are being advised to prepare to wait at the airports till the report of the RT-PCR test is available States were asked tosend all positive samples for genome sequencing to INSACOG Labs mapped with states promptly and that states should undertake contact tracing of positive individuals and follow up for 14 days the statement said DG ICMR Dr Balram Bharagava informed that the Omicron variant doesnt escape RT-PCR and RAT and hence states and UTs were advised to ramp up testing for prompt and early identification of any cases the statement said The Union health secretaryurged states to strengthen the testing infrastructure while strictly implementing the testing guidelines and ensure ample testing in each district while maintaining the RT-PCR ratio States and UTs were advised to have continuous monitoring of areas where recent clusters of positive cases have emerged and sendall positive samples for genome sequencing to the designated INSACOG Lab in a prompt manner They were asked to do effective and regular monitoring of home isolation cases with physical visits to homes of passengers from at-risk countries The status of those who are negative after the test on the eighth day has to also be physically monitored by the state administration Bhushan said States were also asked to ensure the preparedness of health infrastructure availability of ICU O2 beds ventilators etc and to implement Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness ECRP-II with a focus on rural areas and for paediatric cases it said They were asked to work for early implementation of sanctioned pressure swing adsorption PSA oxygen generating plants along with ensuring a seamless supply of logistics drugs O2 cylinders etc States have been asked to co-ordinate with Airport Health Officers APHOs and Air Suvidha portal for a list of positive travellers including details of all international travellers and strengthen support to them for effective surveillance Effective and timely coordination between State admin BOI officials APHOs Port health officers PHOs and Land Border Crossing Officers LBCOs was stressed upon States have been advised for meetings with relevant officials to ensure smooth implementation of the new Guidelines for International Travelers which come into effect from midnight today Daily monitoring by the State Surveillance Officer has been directed to track and contain the spread of transmission of any VoCs in the country especially from any recent clusters of positive cases Regular dissemination of evidence and science-based information on the merging scenario should be shared with the masses through weekly media briefings it re-emphasised PTI PLB RT RT

Bengaluru Oct 27 PTI Karnataka currently has seven cases of Delta Plus variant of the coronavirus including two AY42 in the city a senior official said on Wednesday Three such cases are reported in Bengaluru and the remaining four in different parts of the state State Health and Family Welfare Commissioner D Randeep told PTI There are no reports of deaths due to the new variant but one or two people have been hospitalised he said Meanwhile in its latest guidelines for international arrivals the Karnataka government has said all travelers should have negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report This test should have been conducted within 72 hours prior to undertaking the journey The test report has to be uploaded on a portal called Air Suvidha Other than that there are no restrictions like quarantining people Randeep said PTI GMS RS ROH ROH

Bengaluru Oct 27 PTI The number of Delta AY42 variant of coronavirus which is spreading rapidly in some foreign countries has increased to seven in Karnataka with three more people found to be infected with it in the city Speaking to reporters here State Health and Family Welfare Commissioner D Randeep said There are seven cases of AY42 in the state -- three in Bengaluru and four in different parts of the state Maintaining that the COVID-19 cases are under control in the state Randeep said the government is making a negative RT-PCR test report obtained 72 hours before arrival mandatory for those coming from abroad to the state The test report has to be uploaded on a portal called Air Suvidha Other than that there is no restrictions like quarantining people Randeep clarified He further said the Centre and the state will initiate certains measures to check the super-spreader variant of COVID-19 which has spread in some foreign countries There are no reports of deaths due to the new variant but one or two people have been hospitalised he added PTI GMS ROH ROH

Starting Monday, fully vaccinated travellers from a country which has reciprocal arrangements with India for mutual acceptance of World Health Organisation approved Covid-19 vaccines will be allowed to leave the airport without a test. They will also not be required to undergo home quarantine. They will, however, have to produce a negative Covid-19 RT-PCR report. In […]