In the wake of reports of a new variant of the coronavirus having emerged in the United Kingdom, air passengers from the U.K. arriving at Chennai airport on Monday night and in the early hours of Tuesday would have to undergo an RT-PCR test and institutional quarantine. Due to the latest development, all flights from the U.K. have been suspended from December 23.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation issued a circular on Monday stating, “During the transition period, i.e., up to 23:59 hours IST of 22 December 2020, all passengers arriving in India from the United Kingdom shall be compulsorily subjected to an RT-PCR test at the arrival port. Passengers found to be COVID-19-positive shall be quarantined as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.”
On Monday night, passengers of two flights from London, which had transit at Delhi before landing in Chennai, had to be tested, State government officials said. “We have already set up counters equipped with test kits to handle passengers. These passengers, even if they have a COVID-19-negative certificate, would be tested again, and then go into institutional quarantine. But they have to be in institutional quarantine for only half a day or one full day till the results come and will then be allowed to head home,” an official said.
Two more flights are expected to arrive on Tuesday morning, and State government officials have begun making arrangements for quarantining passengers. The passengers would be given the option of free or paid accommodation.
Owing to this temporary suspension of flights, the travel plans of thousands of passengers have gone awry, leaving them worried.
