Only domestic flights are now being operated from the Visakhapatnam International Airport as scheduled international operations have been suspended after cancellation of flights.
In view of the threat of the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, random checks are being carried out at the airport though there are no specific guidelines from the Union Government.
“It was initially thought that the Vizag-Singapore SilkAir flight would be revived from December 15. But, it is likely to be deferred in view of the threat posed by the new variant,” airport Director K. Srinivasa Rao said on Wednesday.
Though the Government of India had originally planned to allow scheduled international flights from December 15, the decision was deferred in view of the threat posed by Omicron, Mr. Rao said quoting official information.
Apart from thermal screening and collecting the mobile numbers, details of the passengers would also be taken, Mr. Rao said, and added that passengers would have to undergo full-fledged testing as per the guidelines of the Government of India once the operation of scheduled international flights was permitted.
Meanwhile, the Government of India had issued guidelines for international travellers coming to India with effect from December 1, and these included mandatory submission of self-declaration form and uploading negative RT-PCR report before boarding the flight.
Travellers coming from countries listed as ‘high-risk’ should undergo RT-PCR test on arrival. If they test negative, they should be under home quarantine for seven days and undergo a re-test on the 8th day. If they test negative again, they should be under self health monitoring for the subsequent 7 days.
If they test positive on re-test, or test positive on arrival, they have to send their sample for genomic testing, get themselves admitted in isolation ward, undergo treatment as per protocol, and get discharged at the discretion of the treating physician.
