The Centre on Friday announced new travel guidelines for international passengers arriving in India. The new guidelines stated that children under the age of 5 years have been exempted from both pre and post COVID testing on arrival.

According to a notification issued by the Union Health Ministry, if any child found symptomatic for COVID on arrival or during the period of home quarantine, they shall undergo testing and be treated as per laid down protocol. The government has issued the latest guidelines for international travel as COVID continues to surge in other countries and will come into effect from November 12.

The following are the guidelines issued by the Centre for International arrivals:

• If a fully-vaccinated traveller is coming from a country with which India has reciprocal arrangements for mutual acceptance of WHO-approved Covid-19 vaccines, they shall be allowed to leave the airport and shall self-monitor their health for 14 days' post arrival.
• If partially or not unvaccinated travellers visit India, they will have to submit samples for post-arrival Covid-19 test at the point of arrival after which they will be allowed to leave the airport. They will also have to go under home quarantine for seven days, and be re-tested on the 8th day of arrival in India and if negative, further self-monitor their health for next seven days.
• International travellers arriving through seaports and land ports will also have to undergo the same protocol as above, according to new guidelines.

The Centre has also added that passengers found symptomatic during screening shall be immediately isolated and taken to a medical facility according to protocol. Further, the contacts of the suspect case and the co-passengers seated in the same row, three rows in front and three rows behind along with identified cabin crew will have to undergo testing as well. Also, all community contacts of those travellers who test positive (during the home quarantine period) will be subject to quarantine for 14 days and tested as per Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) protocol, the guidelines said.

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