Air Suvidha Forms, RT-PCR Tests Require For International Arrivals From Next Week

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Starting next week, January 01 international arrivals from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Singapore will be required to submit self-declarations via the Air Suvidha portal, along with RT-PCR test reports conducted within 72 hours prior to departure.

This is in addition to Random 2% tests of all International Passengers on their arrival to India.

Union Health Minister Dr Mandaviya also twisted about the same and said that “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.”

It is worth noting here that, India last month scraped the requirement of filling out the Air Suvidha form, which asked questions about recent travel, vaccination, current health, and other topics.

According to ANI, a source in the Union Health Ministry stated that the next 40 days will be critical because India may see an increase in Covid cases in mid-January. The assessment was made after analysing previous trends of the Covid surge in the country.

In the midst of an increase in Covid cases in some countries, the operational readiness of healthcare facilities in all states and union territories is being assessed in preparation for another wave.

39 International Travellers Test Positive for Covid-19

Between December 24 and 26, at least 39 international fliers tested positive for Covid. Taking into account the global increase in cases, including in China, the Centre ordered random testing of international passengers.

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“On December 24, 25, and 26, passengers on 498 international flights were screened. For Covid tests, 1,780 swab samples were collected. So far, a total of 3,994 samples have been collected (from international fliers). The total number of samples that tested positive for Covid and sent for whole genome sequencing is 39.”


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Manish Khandelwal
Manish Khandelwal

Manish Khandelwal, a travel-tech enthusiast with over a decade of experience in the travel industry. Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Travelobiz.com, he's passionate about writing.

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