On Day one of India’s new travel guidelines coming into effect, six Covid-19 positive cases were found after screening 3,476 passengers from 11 international flights from ‘at risk’ countries. Samples of these passengers have been sent for genomic sequencing to find out if they have been infected with the new Omicron variant, first found in southern Africa.
These passengers landed at separate airports in the country from 11 flights from Tuesday midnight to 4 pm on Wednesday. The government said that all the 3,476 passengers underwent RT-PCR tests.
The Government of India further stressed that it continues to keep track of the evolving situation that has emerged from the threat from the new variant.
Four people who flew into Delhi from the Netherlands and the UK in the early hours of Wednesday have tested positive for Covid and their samples have been sent for genome sequencing to ascertain if they have the new variant, sources told PTI.
All four have been admitted to the LNJP Hospital, where a dedicated ward has been set up for isolating and treating such patients, they added.
“Four flights originating from Amsterdam and London and carrying 1,013 passengers landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport between 12 midnight and 6 am. Of these passengers, four have tested positive,” a source said. All four are Indian nationals, he added.
India has designated 11 countries in its ‘at risk’ list: the European countries, including the UK, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel. Travellers from these nations have to follow additional measures upon arrival in India from Tuesday midnight.
The Centre had on November 28 revised the travel norms for international fliers, mandating RT-PCR tests for passengers arriving from ‘at risk’ nations. Such passengers will be allowed to leave the airport only after the results come negative. Also, five per cent of the passengers arriving in flights from other countries will be subject to random Covid test.
(With PTI inputs)
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