NEW DELHI: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya today announced that RT-PCR test has been made mandatory for passengers coming from 5 countries including China. 

"For travellers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand, the RT-PCR test will be mandatory. Any traveller from these countries who exhibits symptoms upon arrival or tests positive for the Covid-19 illness would be placed under quarantine, "Minister of Health Mandaviya said.

The minster also mentioned that the Air Suvidha form filling to declare the current health status will also be made mandatory for international passengers arriving from these Asian countries. Taking note of the spurting cases of COVID internationally, Mandaviya on Friday said that the Centre and States need to work in a "collaborative spirit" as was done during the previous surges.

The health minster, while chairing a virtual meeting yesterday with the health ministers of the states, Additional Chief Secretaries and Information Commissioners, and Principal Secretaries, said that the country needs to be on the alert and be fully prepared for COVID tackling. The meeting was held in light 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 readiness for containment and management of COVID-19 and progress of national COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

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