NEW DELHI: Passengers coming from at risk countries and testing positive on arrival in India will be treated as per protocol and not necessarily be admitted to an isolation facility, a health ministry guideline said on Thursday.
The Union health ministry's revised the protocol for international arrivals will come into effect from January 22.
The other rules and requirements remain essentially the same.
For arrivals from at-risk countries, it says: “…if such travellers are tested positive (on arrival), their samples should be further sent for genomic testing at INSACOG laboratory network. They shall be treated/isolated as per laid down standard protocol.”
The current rules (valid till Friday) required people testing positive on arrival from at-risk countries to be “managed at isolation facility and treated as per protocol”.
This will bring relief to such passengers as globally there have been scores of cases where people board international flights with mandatory negative report taken within the required time period and still test positive on arrival at the destination.
“…in view of the changed scenario and new guidelines issued by health ministry, including on home Isolation, the existing guidelines necessitate a revision,” the revised guidelines say.
Passengers who are found symptomatic during screening “shall be immediately isolated and taken to medical facility as per health protocol”.
If tested positive, their contacts will be identified and managed as per protocol.
Requirements like seven-day home quarantine, a test on eighth day and self health monitoring for another seven days will continue.
