The standard operating procedure (SOP) issued on Saturday by the Health Ministry said all passengers coming from the UK between January 8 and January 30 would be subjected to self-paid Covid-19 tests on arrival. The SOP further states each passenger arriving from the UK would have to bring his or her Covid-19 negative report from a test done 72 hours prior to the journey. SOP asked the states/UTs (union territories) government concerned to set up help desks at airports concerned to facilitate implementation of the SOP. 

India had suspended all flights to and from the United Kingdom from December 23 to 31 to curb the spread of the mutant variant, more contagious variant of coronavirus found in UK. The suspension of flights was extended till January 7. It is said that the adequate arrangements should be made for the passengers who will be waiting for their RT-PCR test or its results at the airport. “Passengers testing positive shall be isolated in an institutional isolation facility in a separate (isolation) unit coordinated by the respective state health authorities,” the SOP said.

If the genomic sequencing indicates the presence of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2, the patient will continue to remain in a separate isolation unit, SOP further said. The patient will be tested on the 14th day after having tested positive and he or she will be kept in the isolation facility till his or her sample has tested negative, it added. If a passenger tests Covid-positive on arrival, passengers seated in the same row, three rows in front and three rows behind would also be subjected to institutional quarantine in separate quarantine centers, the SOP further notifies. The passengers who are found Covid-negative after the tests conducted at the airport would be advised home quarantine for 14 days and the concerned state or district administration should regularly follow up with them, SOP said.

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