A flight from the United Kingdom landed at the Kempegowda International Airport — first since India-U.K. flight services resumed — in Bengaluru at around 4.30 a.m. on January 10 with 273 passengers, including 32 children.
A Health department official said, “As per the SoP (standard operating procedure), U.K. returnees are being screened after their arrival.” The official added that around 16 crew members of the flight will also undergo the screening.
On the evening of January 9, Health Minister K. Sudhakar after reviewing screening arrangements at the airport, said all U.K. returnees must undergo RT-PCR tests on arrival and that they will be allowed to leave only after the results have been received. “Those found negative will be sent home and those positive will be kept in institutional quarantine or treated at hospitals.”
Arrangements have been made by Bangalore International Airport Ltd. (BIAL) for passengers to wait until the test reports are received. A waiting area is made available along with food and beverage arrangements for passengers.
Following reports of a new COVID-19 virus strain, believed to spread faster, the Central government had suspended all passenger flights between the countries on December 23.
