Govt relaxes Covid norms for arriving students
The Health Ministry has done away with the requirement for uploading either a negative RT-PCR test from 72 hours before the travel, or a vaccination certificate on Air Suvidha portal on “humanitarian grounds”.
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An Air India flight carrying people from Himachal Pradesh and other Indians stranded in the east European country. (Twitter/DrSJaishankar)With the Centre evacuating citizens stuck in Ukraine through neighbouring countries such as Hungary and Romania, the Union Health Ministry on Monday said they have relaxed Covid-19 norms for these travellers.
“This is with reference to the request received on 25th February 2022 regarding relaxation on the travel advisory for the diaspora of Indian Nationals (mainly students) who have found themselves embroiled in political turmoil being faced by Ukraine,” Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry, Lav Agarwal stated in a letter to Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, G Balasubhramanian.
The Health Ministry has done away with the requirement for uploading either a negative RT-PCR test from 72 hours before the travel, or a vaccination certificate on Air Suvidha portal on “humanitarian grounds”.
On arrival, those who have been fully vaccinated will be allowed to leave the airport with the advice to self-monitor their health for the following 14 days. Those who haven’t completed their vaccination will also be allowed to leave the airport, but after giving an RT-PCR sample, according to the ministry.
With Covid-19 cases going down in the country, the government, at the beginning of the month, had revised international travel guidelines to say that travellers will no longer need to quarantine for seven days, or get tested at the airport if they come from an at-risk country — in fact, the list of high-risk countries was done away with.
Only 2 per cent of the travellers were randomly tested for the infection.
All international travellers were, however, still required to upload a self-declaration form with the history of travel in the last 14 days on the government’s Air Suvidha portal before travel and submit a negative RT-PCR test done 72 hours before travel. Only asymptomatic passengers were to be allowed to board.
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