Guidelines for Intl. Arrivals (dated 17 Feb 2021)

[B]FOR ALL INTERNATIONAL TRAVELLERS 

COMING THROUGH FLIGHTS ORIGINATING 

FROM UNITED KINGDOM, EUROPE AND MIDDLE EAST

All the clauses as above (part A) shall be applicable to such travellers coming/transiting from flights originating in United Kingdom, Europe and Middle East except for clauses on testing, quarantine and isolation as specified below:

i. All international travellers coming/transiting from flights originating from United Kingdom, Europe and Middle East as described in the scope above should submit Self-Declaration Form (SDF) for COVID on the online Air Suvidha portal (www.newdelhiairport.in) before the scheduled travel and will be required to declare their travel history (of past 14 days).

While filling SDF, apart from providing all other information required in the SDF, passengers need

to select:

a. Whether they plan to disembark at the arrival airport or take further flights to reach their final destination in India.

b. Based on this selection, the receipt of SDF (dispatched online to the transiting travellers)

will display “T” (Transit) in easily readable and bigger font than other text.

c. The passengers will need to display this receipt to State authority / Government officials

at the airport for segregation.

ii. Keeping in mind the testing requirements for passengers from UK, Brazil and South Africa, who

have to take connecting flights, airlines should keep the passengers informed about the need for

transit time of a minimum 6-8 hours at the entry airport (in India) while booking the tickets for

connecting flights.

iii. All the passengers arriving from United Kingdom, Europe and Middle East shall be carrying negative RT-PCR Test report for which test should have been conducted within 72 hours prior to undertaking the journey. The same also shall be uploaded on the online portal  www.newdelhiairport.in).

iv. Airlines to allow boarding only those passengers who have filled in the SDF on the Air Suvidha

portal and uploaded the negative RT-PCR test report.

v. The concerned airlines shall ensure that prior to check-in, the traveller is explained about this SOP particularly clause (ix) of part B of this SOP, besides displaying the same prominently in the waiting areas of the airports.

vi. Airlines should identify the international travellers arriving from/transiting through United

Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa (during past 14 days) and segregate them in-flight or while

disembarking to facilitate the authorities to follow the due protocol in respect of these travellers.

vii. In-flight announcements must also be made explaining the relevant information to the

passengers. Relevant information in this regard shall be prominently displayed in arrival area and waiting area of the airports of arrival.

viii. The immigration officers of these identified airports shall also ensure identification of travellers (from their passports) who originated or transited from UK, Brazil and South Africa (during past 14 days).

ix. All the travellers arriving from/transiting through flights originating in United Kingdom, Europe or Middle East shall be mandatorily subjected to self-paid confirmatory molecular tests on arrival  at Page 4 of 5 the Indian airports concerned (port of entry). Entry made in the SDF regarding telephone number and address would be reconfirmed.

x. Adequate arrangements for passengers waiting for their confirmatory molecular test as well as

test results duly following effective isolation may also be made at the airports in conjunction with

the airport authorities.

xi. The airport authority shall ensure streamlining of the systems for testing at the concerned airports to ensure seamless sampling, testing, and waiting arrangements to avoid crowding and

inconvenience to passengers. Once passengers arrive at the entry airport, Airport Operator should lay down a well-defined flow for such passengers at their respective arrival terminals leading to the waiting lounges and to the exit from the terminal.

xii. Airports can provide options to the passengers to do online booking of the confirmatory molecular test through respective website (Air Suvidha portal) or other appropriate platforms as well as to do offline booking. As far as possible digital payment facilities to be ensured.

xiii. Sample collection cum waiting lounge for the passengers should follow all sanitization and physical distancing related guidelines issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare from time to time.

xiv. The States/UTs Government concerned should set up helpdesks at airports concerned to facilitate implementation of the SOP.

xv. Travellers from UK, Brazil and South Africa taking connecting flights from the arrival

international airport (‘T” in their SDF).

a. Give sample at designated area and exit airport only after confirmation of negative test

report which may take 6-8 hours.

b. Those transit travellers from UK, Brazil and South Africa who are found negative on testing

at the airport shall be allowed to take their connecting flights and would be advised

quarantine at home for 7 days and regularly followed up by the concerned State/District

IDSP. These travellers shall be tested after 7 days and if negative, released from

quarantine, and continue to monitor their health for a further 7 days.

c. All those tested positive shall undergo the procedure as detailed in clause (xviii) below.

xvi. All travellers from UK, Brazil and South Africa existing at the arrival airport:

a. Will give their sample in the designated area and exit the airport. They will be followed up

by the State Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).

b. The concerned State authorities/airport operators will collect and convey the test report

to the traveller.

c. If tested negative, they will remain in home quarantine for 7 days and regularly followed

up by the concerned State/District IDSP. These travellers shall again be tested after 7 days

and if negative, released from quarantine, and continue to monitor their health for a

further 7 days.

d. All those tested positive shall undergo the procedure as detailed in clause (xviii) below.

xvii. All other travellers from Europe and Middle East (other than those in flights originating from Brazil, South Africa and United Kingdom) who have to exit the destination airport or take connecting flights to their final domestic destination:

a. Shall give samples at the designated area and exit the airport.

b. The concerned State authorities/airport operators will collect and convey the test report

to the traveller.

c. If the test report is negative, they will be advised to self-monitor their health for 14 days.

d. If the test report is positive, they will undergo treatment as per standard health protocol.

xviii. Travellers from Brazil, South Africa and United Kingdom, testing positive (either at the

airport or subsequently during home quarantine period or their contacts who turn positive) shall

Page 5 of 5 be isolated in an institutional isolation facility in a separate (isolation) unit coordinated by the respective State Health Authorities. They would earmark specific facilities for such isolation and  treatment and take necessary action to send the positive samples to Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) Labs.

a. If the report of the sequencing is consistent with the current SARS-CoV-2 virus genome

circulating in the country; the ongoing treatment protocol including home

isolation/treatment at facility level as per case severity may be followed.

b. If the genomic sequencing indicates the presence of new variant of SARS-CoV-2 then the

patient will continue to remain in a separate isolation unit. While necessary treatment as

per the existing protocol will be given, the patient shall be tested on 14th day, after having

tested positive in the initial test. The patient will be kept in the isolation facility till his

sample is tested negative.

xix. The State-wise passenger manifest of the flights originating from Europe and Middle East and

landing at Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai airports in India for the said period

shall be conveyed by the Bureau of Immigration to State Government/Integrated Disease

Surveillance Programme (IDSP) [idsp-npo@nic.in and designated e-mails provided by the

respective State Governments] so that this data would be provided to the surveillance teams. This data of manifests provided by Bureau of Immigration will be supplemented by the online Self-Declaration Forms available on ‘AIR SUVIDHA’ portal.

xx. All the contacts* of travellers arriving from UK, South Africa and Brazil who test positive (either at the airport or subsequently during home quarantine period), shall be subjected to institutional quarantine in separate quarantine centers and would be tested on the 7th day (or early if develop symptoms). Contacts testing positive shall be accordingly further followed as mentioned in Clause (xviii) above.

xxi. Information regarding any passenger covered within the scope of this SOP, who has moved to another State will be immediately notified to the concerned State Health Authority. If any

passenger is not traceable initially or during any duration while being followed up should be

immediately notified to Central Surveillance Unit of IDSP by the District Surveillance Officer.