Dhaka: India has issued new guidelines for passengers arriving in the country to curb the spread of the new strains of coronavirus witnessed recently in many countries across the world.

The fresh guidelines apply to all inbound and transit passengers for flights originating from the United Kingdom, Europe, and the Middle East which include undergoing a self-paid Covid test on arrival in India.

The new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prepared by the Civil Aviation Ministry of India in consultation with the country’s health ministry, will be effective from February 21 until further notice, said a press statement issued on February 17.

The move comes two days after India confirmed that four persons arrived in the country with the faster-spreading South African variant of Covid-19 and one with the Brazilian strain. They along with their contacts have been traced and quarantined.

The new set of guidelines states all international travellers – except the ones coming through flights originating from the UK, Europe and the Middle East – will have to submit self-declaration form on Air Suvidha portal before their scheduled travel. They will also have to upload a negative Covid-19 RT-PCR report with the exception of those traveling to India in the exigency of death in the family.

For seeking exemption, the traveling entity will have to apply to the online portal www.newdelhiairport.in at least 72 hours before boarding. The Covid-19 test should have been conducted within 72 hours prior to the journey and each passenger will also have to submit a declaration with respect to the authenticity of the report, as per the new guidelines. At the time of boarding the flight, only asymptomatic travelers will be allowed to board after the thermal screening.

Inbound travelers arriving through seaports/land ports will also undergo the same protocols, except that the facility for online registration prior to travel is unavailable currently for such passengers, state the Civil Aviation Ministry guidelines.

All such clauses will be applicable to travelers coming/transiting from flights originating in the UK, Europe, and the Middle East except for clauses on testing, quarantine, and isolation, the ministry said.

Keeping in mind the testing requirements for passengers from the UK, Brazil, and South Africa who have to take connecting flights, airlines should keep the passengers informed about the need for the transit time of a minimum of 6-8 hours at the entry airport (in India) while booking the tickets for connecting flights, as per the guidelines.

Airlines are to identify the inbound travelers coming from/transiting through the United Kingdom, Brazil, and South Africa (during the past 14 days) and separate them in-flight or while disembarking to facilitate the authorities to follow the due protocol in respect of these travelers, it stated.

Incoming passengers on a short stay (of less than 14 days) and who have tested negative and remain symptom-free, would have to undergo all the procedures and will be permitted to leave India under proper intimation to their district/state health authorities, subject to them fulfilling the requirement of the airlines and destination country, said the fresh guidelines.

India currently has international scheduled flights suspended till February 28. But, under air bubble agreements with different countries, overseas flights to and from India are being operated right now.