International Flights Archives - Lokmarg

The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on Thursday said that at least two percent of the arriving passengers on international flights to the country as part of a precautionary measure against Covid-19.

The MoCA in an official statement said that the passengers are to be identified by the airline and will be allowed to leave the airport after sample collection. Those being tested positive for the infection will be isolated and their samples will be sent for genome sequencing.

“This arrangement should come into the practice with effect from 10:00 am on December 24,” as per the statement from MoCA.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in Lok Sabha on Thursday said 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.

Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare also issued ‘Guidelines for International Arrivals’ in view of the COVID-19 pandemic and said that the guidelines will be reviewed and revised from time to time.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare statement, the present guidelines are being revised in view of the increasing trajectory of COVID-19 cases being noted in some countries across the world.

The ministry said that all travelers should preferably be fully vaccinated as per the approved primary schedule of vaccination against COVID-19 in their Country.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has however exempted Children (under 12 years of age) from post-arrival random testing.

“In-flight announcements about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic including precautionary measures to be followed (preferable use of masks and following physical distancing) shall be made in flights/travel and at all points of entry, Any passenger having symptoms of COVID-19 during travel shall be isolated as per standard protocol i.e. the said passenger should be wearing a mask, isolated and segregated from other passengers in flight/travel and shifted to an isolation facility subsequently for follow up treatment,” read the statement from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

“However, if found symptomatic for COVID-19 on arrival or during the period of self-monitoring period, they shall undergo testing and be treated as per laid down protocol,” read the statement.

It stated that on the arrival of passengers’ de-boarding should be done ensuring physical distancing, thermal screening should be done in respect of all the passengers by the health officials present at the point of entry and the passengers found to be symptomatic during screening shall be immediately isolated, taken to a designated medical facility as per health protocol (as above). (ANI)

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Amid demand by Opposition parties to immediately stop all international flights from China, government sources said that there is no order issued by the central government to curb incoming flights from the country where a wave of Covid cases has been reported.

‘We don’t have any direct flights from China to India or from India to China but as of now, there is no such order issued to stop connecting flights to India which are arriving via China. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) is an executing ministry, the final decision will come from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW),” government sources told ANI.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to chair this afternoon a high-level meeting to review the Covid-19 situation and its related aspects in the county.

In the last six months, India reported four cases of the BF.7 Omicron sub-variant, which is driving China’s current surge of infections.

According to the people aware of the matter, there are currently 10 different variants of Covid-19 in the country, with the latest being BF.7.

“Given the grave COVID-19 situation in China, the government must immediately ban all flights to and from China. Given the increase in the US, Japan, and South Korea as well as the potential for the emergence of a new lethal variant, India should think about restoring COVID-19 guidelines,” Congress leader Manish Tiwari had tweeted.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting to review the prevailing Covid-19 situation in the country and the preparedness of the public health system for surveillance, containment, and management of the pandemic.

He urged people to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and get vaccinated against Covid-19.

Also, after the meeting chaired by Mandaviya, Dr VK Paul, Member-Health, NITI Aayog said that “there is no change with regard to aviation as of now.”

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday called on China to share the data requested by the world health body to better understand the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We continue to call on China to share the data and conduct the studies we have requested, and which we continue to request. As I have said many times before, all hypotheses about the origins of this pandemic remain on the table,” he added.

Tedros also expressed concern about the over the evolving situation in China, with increasing reports of severe disease.

“In order to make a comprehensive risk assessment of the situation on the ground, WHO needs more detailed information on disease severity, hospital admissions and requirements for intensive care units support,” the WHO chief said. (ANI)

Tag: International Flights

New Covid Rules For International Flights, Passengers Issued

No Decision Yet To Stop Flights To-From China