Australians enjoy unrestricted travel; but much of Europe under new rules from December 1
Venkat Raman
Auckland, November 30, 2021
The government of India has issued a new list of ‘At Risk Countries,’ including New Zealand, travellers from which will be obliged to undergo special tests and if tested negative, follow home quarantine for seven days, re-test on the eighth day of arrival and if tested again negative, self-monitor their health for the next seven days.
The new regulations, which come into effect from 00.01 hours on December 1, 2021 are said to have been issued in view of the new Omicron Variant of Covid-19 beginning to afflict countries.
Different treatment to Australia
New Zealand has no Omicron cases so far but has been included in the list, whereas Australia, with two confirmed (but perhaps four) cases of Omicron, is out of the list indicating the special political relationship that it enjoys with India.
Originating or transiting travellers from New Zealand and other ‘At Risk Countries’ will be informed by the concerned airlines that they will undergo post-arrival testing, quarantined if tested negative, stringent isolation protocols for tested positive and other measures as deemed necessary.
All travellers from these countries must undergo a Covid-Test on arrival at Indian ports of entry at their cost, wait at the airport for the test, and depending on the result, will be advised the next steps.
Procedures in India
Passengers tested positive, will not be allowed to leave the airport. Instead, they will be taken to a quarantine facility or depending on the case to a hospital.
Those tested negative must isolate themselves at home for seven days, after which they must undergo another test on the eighth day. If tested negative, they would be required to monitor their health for another seven days.
According to the government notification, the countries considered to be at the Risk of Omicron are South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong, Israel and the United Kingdom besides countries in Europe that have a surge of the pandemic.
The Health Ministry Thursday issued direction to states that international travellers coming from and transiting through Botswana, South Africa, and Hong Kong must be subjected to rigorous screening and testing, due to multiple cases of Covid-19 variant B.1.1.529 reported in these countries.
Rigorous screening and testing
Government of India Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that international travellers arriving from these countries will be subjected to rigorous screening and testing, and that all their contacts will also be closely tracked and tested as per the Health Ministry guidelines for this category.
The states will now have to send the samples of travellers turning positive to designated labs of Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genetics Consortium (INSACOG), that tracks and monitors emergence and transmission of Covid-19 variants of concerns and variants of interests in India. Also, state surveillance officers will coordinate with the INSACOG labs and undertake test-track-treat to prevent the spread of the variant and formation of cluster of cases.
Newspapers in India have reported that the genomic surveillance for variants will be further strengthened and intensified. “Airport Health Officials and Port Health Officials (PHOs) are being sensitised for strict supervision of testing protocol at airports and ports,” a spokesperson of the Home Ministry tweeted after a meeting called by the Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla with various stakeholders, including health experts, on Sunday, November 28, 2021.
Our advise to travellers from New Zealand who arrive in India on or after December 1, 2021: You should be fully vaccinated, carry your Vaccination Certificate, observe the rules in force (including wearing masks in public) and keep social distancing. Please be patient and allow the health officials in India to their job.
Coming up: Another backward step in the Indo-Kiwi relations
