Covid Tests Mandatory: 110 Foreign Passengers Examined At Delhi Airport On Random Testing
Covid Tests Mandatory: 110 Foreign Passengers Examined At Delhi Airport On Random Testing
Approximately 110 tourists were screened for Covid-19 on Saturday at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, marking the first day since India restarted the procedure of screening 2% of foreign visitors (IGIA). This information was supplied by Genestrings Diagnostic Institute, which serves as the designated Covid-19 monitoring facility for the airport.
The most recent recommendation from the Center was released in the midst of a recent global pandemic, especially in China, where Health care facilities and funeral homes are overcrowded and millions of casualties are expected in the months ahead.
“On average, 25,000 travelers reach the IGI, Delhi Airport, and 500 at random are subjected to testing. The founder of Genestrings Diagnostic Center, Dr. Gauri Agarwal, was quoted by the news agency ANI as stating that by the end of day one, Genestrings had completed roughly 110 tests.
According to Genestrings, at the present 2 percent rate, 500 RT-PCR tests will allegedly be performed in total going future. Passengers from five countries – China, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, and Hong Kong – will now be required to submit a negative RT-PCR test report at the entry point, according to a Saturday statement by the Union Health Ministry.
Passengers traveling from these countries would also be required to fill out Air Suvidha forms to certify their current health status.
India’s choice to refocus on Covid-19 as a result of China experiencing the greatest epidemic in three years led to the decision. The Center has also encouraged states and union territories to increase their alertness and vigilance while putting an emphasis on an adequate supply of medical oxygen at all hospitals and healthcare facilities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya both presided over separate Covid-19 review meetings with representatives from government agencies and academics last week. They emphasized that the pandemic is still ongoing and pleaded with the public to behave in a Covid-appropriate manner. There is no need to be concerned, according to Mandaviya, who emphasized that the administration is on guard and equipped to manage any circumstance.
Daily Covid-19 incidences have been steadily declining in India. However, there were 227 new infections across the country on Sunday, up 27 from the day before. The daily count slightly climbed for the second day in a row. Data from the Union Health Ministry show that there are now 3,424 active patients.
On Monday, Delhi authorities would increase testing and determine whether government hospitals are ready.
Officials will physically visit all government hospitals in Delhi to determine their readiness to handle any situation in light of an increase in Covid-19 instances in some countries, officials said on Sunday.
All local government hospitals will participate in a simulated drill on Tuesday as per instructions from the central government. In a meeting with all district judges on Sunday morning, Delhi Health Secretary Amit Singla gave them the task of visiting every hospital and compiling a list of the beds and equipment that are there.
“Starting on Monday, we’ll physically evaluate the situation at the public hospitals in terms of the availability of beds, oxygen tanks, ventilators, etc. From Tuesday, the general public will be able to discuss these details on a Delhi government portal, according to another source.
The coronavirus dashboard maintained by the Delhi government was last updated on December 12. According to the person who was quoted above, “Real-time data will be available on the portal starting on Tuesday.” The northeast district official predicted that testing will shortly be intensified. A total of 2,500–3,000 tests are currently being completed throughout the city.
Meetings are being held with local non-governmental organizations and welfare institutions. They are expected to raise awareness of the new event. The official stated, “We are likely to start a door-to-door campaign to give booster dosages to susceptible people.
A representative from the northwest district stated that everyone should adhere to Covid-appropriate behavior, which includes keeping at least two feet away, wearing masks, avoiding crowded areas, etc.
Despite the fact that things seem to be going well right now, a district manager in southeastern Delhi declared that “we are absolutely ready.” The insider continued, “We would also collect data on bed availability at private hospitals, which have been critical in addressing the issue during prior Covid surges.”
The new Omicron sub-variant BF.7 of the coronavirus, which is causing an increase in cases in certain countries, has not yet been found in Delhi, according to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who also stated on Thursday that his government is completely prepared to manage any situation.
Additionally, he had given instructions to boost precaution dose coverage, and hospital staffing levels, and transmit all positive patients for genome sequencing.
He had guided authorities to obtain prior approval before buying any necessary materials and checking any hospital machines.
They are independent in terms of oxygen availability and storage, according to the CM. Delhi experienced an oxygen crisis during the second Covid wave of last year, with hospitals using social media to post SOS alerts about running out of supplies.
As incidents around the world increase, travelers from China and 4 other countries must undergo a COVID test.
The government has announced that RT-PCR testing will be mandated for international travelers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand as part of its stepped-up anti-Covid measures.
In order to ensure that medical facilities, including medical oxygen-producing plants, are prepared, the government has also requested states to hold a mock drill on Tuesday. This occurs a day after Mansukh Mandaviya, the Union Health Minister, met with state ministers to address the current Covid-19 situation and make sure that the nation is ready to stop the virus’s spread as Covid instances continue to rise across the globe.
Tourists from these countries will be instructed to do an RT-PCR assessment: China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand. Mandaviya was quoted by ANI as conveying, “Any visitor out of these countries who are found to be suffering or screens positively for Covid19 would indeed be brought under quarantine.”
According to new regulations that mandate testing of 2% of international arrivals on each flight, random Covid testing of international passengers began on Saturday at airports including those in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Indore, and Goa.
The government has advised the states and union territories to reactivate oxygen control rooms in order to quickly address problems and challenges relating to oxygen. The Union Health Minister announced the reintroduction of additional preventative measures, stating that travelers arriving in India from China and four other nations who test positive for COVID-19 or have a fever will be quarantined.
Passengers from China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Bangkok (Thailand) are instructed to upload their RT-PCR reports in advance due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation (for travel to India). Mandaviya told reporters in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, “They will undergo thermal screening after landing in India, and we have issued an order for them to be quarantined if proven positive or with fever on their arrival in the country.”
According to the Union Health Minister, travelers traveling from these countries would be mandated to complete the “Air Suvidha” form to certify their current health status.
The Air Suvidha platform, which mandated foreign passengers to input information about their journey, Covid vaccination status, and testing status, was introduced in August 2020 but was removed in November of that same year. All visitors to India are currently mandated to have it. By November, the necessity for international travelers to undergo mandatory RT-PCR tests had been phased out due to the decline in cases and increased vaccination rates.
