Tag: Air Suvidha

Centre Drops ‘Air Suvidha’ For 6 Countries

Centre Drops ‘Air Suvidha’ For 6 Countries

By LokMarg

The Government of India drops COVID-19 testing and uploading of the ‘Air Suvidha’ form for international arrivals from China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Thailand and Japan.

However, 2 per cent random testing will continue for international travellers at airports.
The Union Health Secretary has written a letter to the Secretary of Aviation in this regard for updating guidelines for International arrivals.

“Ministry of Health & Family Welfare as a part of its proactive yet graded public health response to COVID-19 management has been updating ‘Guidelines for International Arrivals’ from time to time. In the last update, based on the increasing trajectory of COVID-19 and circulation of mutant variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in some countries, the Ministry had mandated requirements of pre-departure COVID-19 testing and uploading of Self-Health Declaration on the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s ‘Air Suvidha’ Portal,” the letter reads.

“However, as has been witnessed in the last 4 weeks, these Countries are witnessing a sustained and significant decline in the trajectory of COVID-19 cases. Further, as per World Health Organization’s latest situational update on COVID-19, a decline of 89% in the number of newly confirmed cases in the past 28 days has been noted globally as compared to 28 days prior to that. Meanwhile, India has continued to witness a declining trajectory, with less than 100 new cases/day being reported,” the letter said.

‘In view of the above, this Ministry is updating its ‘Guidelines for International Arrivals’, and dropping the existing requirements of pre-departure COVID-19 testing and uploading of Self-Health Declaration on the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s ‘Air Suvidha’ portal applicable for international travellers coming from/via China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Republic of Korea, Thailand and Japan.”

However, 2 per cent random testing will continue, “In order to monitor infections due to mutated variants of SARS-CoV-2 among international travellers to India, the present exercise of random testing of 2 per cent travellers to India (irrespective of Country of origin) upon arrival India shall continue.”

The updated guidelines will come into the practice with effect from 11:00 AM on Monday, February 13, 2023. (ANI)

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RT-PCR Mandatory For Arrivals From China, 4 Other Nations: Mandaviya | Lokmarg

RT-PCR Mandatory For Arrivals From China, 4 Other Nations: Mandaviya

By LokMarg

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday announced that the RT-PCR test has been made mandatory for passengers coming from five countries including China.

“The RT-PCR test to be mandatory for international arrivals from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand. On arrival, if any passenger from these countries is found symptomatic or tests positive for Covid-19 infection, then he/she will be put under quarantine,” Health Minister Mandaviya said in a conversation with ANI.
He also said that the Air Suvidha form filling to declare the current health status will also be made compulsory for international passengers arriving from these Asian countries.

Taking note of the rising cases of COVID globally, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday said that the Centre and States need to work in “tandem” and in a “collaborative spirit” as was done during the previous surges.

Mandaviya, while chairing a virtual meeting Friday with the health ministers of the states, Principal Secretaries, Additional Chief Secretaries, and Information Commissioners, said that the country needs to be on the alert and be fully prepared for COVID management.

The meeting was held in view of the recent upsurge in cases in some countries like China, Japan, Brazil, and the United States in the presence of Union Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar, NITI Aayog member V K Paul to review the public health preparedness for containment and management of COVID-19 and progress of national COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

Manadaviya has also stressed the importance of public awareness campaigns regarding adherence to Covid-appropriate behavior in view of the upcoming festive season.

He asked the State Health Ministers to personally monitor and review the preparedness of all infrastructure and ensure adequate stock of essential medicines.

Notably, Union Health Ministry has already issued “Operational Guidelines for Revised Surveillance Strategy in context of COVID-19” in June 2022 which calls for early detection, isolation, testing and timely management of suspected and confirmed cases to detect and contain outbreaks of new SARS-CoV-2 variants.

On Thursday Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told Parliament, India will start randomly testing two percent of international passengers arriving at its airports for COVID-19 in view of rising cases of COVID in China and other countries.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed on Saturday morning informed that in the past 24 hours, India recorded 201 new COVID-19 infections.

The country’s active caseload currently stands at 3,397 which accounts for 0.01 percent of the total cases.

The recovery rate currently is at 98.8 percent. As many as 183 recoveries were made in the last 24 hours, thereby taking the total recoveries to 4,41,42,791.

The daily positivity rate stood at 0.15 percent, while the weekly positivity rate stood at 0.14 percent.

Mandaviya told parliament on Thursday that the government has started random RT-PCR sampling among the passengers arriving at international airports in the country amid the recent surge of coronavirus infection in various countries including China, Japan, South Korea, France, and the United States. (ANI)

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