New Delhi: The Indian Government issued revised Covid – 19 guidelines for international arrivals, recommending self-monitoring of 14 days for symptoms against the current seven days of home quarantine. The new guidelines will come into effect from February 14^th onwards, said the Union Health Ministry.

The Ministry stressed the need to monitor the continuously changing Covid -19 virus but also acknowledged that economic activities need to be taken up in an unhindered manner. According to the new guidelines, all foreign arrivals must fill a self-declaration form online (available at the Air Suvidha web portal), including a travel history of the past 14 days. They must also upload a negative RT-PCR test that was conducted within 72 hours of the travel date.

Alternatively, they can also upload a certificate confirming they have received both vaccine doses.

This option, however, is only available for passengers arriving from 72 countries whose vaccination programmes the Indian Government recognizes as part of a reciprocal programme. These countries include Canada, Hong Kong, US, UK, Bahrain, Qatar, Australia, New Zealand, and some European nations. Airlines will allow boarding of only those passengers who have filled in all the information in the self-declaration form and uploaded the negative RT-PCR test report or Covid -19 vaccination certificate, said the Health Ministry.

Only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to board, Covid -19 appropriate using of face masks and practicing of social distancing, must be followed during the flight. On arrival, in addition to thermal screening, passengers selected at random (up to two per cent of total passengers per flight) will be asked to undergo RT-PCR tests. Passengers will be selected by the airline and must preferably be from different countries. Passengers found to be symptomatic will be immediately quarantined and tested with contact tracing carried out if they are found to be Covid- 19positive.

These rules replace those announced in December, when strict restrictions were put in place to prevent the more contagious Omicron variant from spreading.