423 from UK sent to 10-day home quarantine in 3 days

423 from UK sent to 10-day home quarantine in 3 days

Sidhartha.Roy@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: 07.10.2021

Over 400 UK nationals who have arrived in Delhi since Monday have been sent for mandatory home quarantine. Sources said that even transit passengers from the UK who were going to other states had to give their sample for an RT-PCR test at the Delhi airport. No passenger has tested positive for Covid-19 yet.

The central government has decided to impose the “reciprocal” quarantine conditions on the British nationals after the United Kingdom refused to reconsider its decision to treat fully-vaccinated Indians as unvaccinated. The new regulation was issued on October 4 by the Union health ministry, which are applicable to all UK nationals arriving in India, regardless of their vaccination status.

The new regulation includes a pre-departure Covid-19 RT-PCR test within 72 hours before travel, Covid-19 RT-PCR test on arrival at the airport and another RT-PCR test on Day 8 after the arrival and mandatory quarantine at home or in the destination address for 10 days after arriving in India. Prior to the new regulation, the British nationals had to undergo extra screening upon arrival due to the UK’s own surge in December. This included seven days in home quarantine and an RT-PCR test at the airport on arrival.

A total of 423 United Kingdom nationals have arrived in Delhi in 10 different flights since the new regulation came into effect, including 56 in one flight at the time of going to the press. The passengers have to give a self-affidavit, declaring that they will follow the guidelines dated October 4, 2021 and that they will remain in home quarantine for the next 10 days and get tested through RT-PCR on Day 8 from the day of arrival.

“Such safety protocols have already been there and for all international passengers who have to get screened by taking a Covid-19 RT-PCR test and remain in home quarantine. Only those who test positive for Covid-19 have to remain in institutional quarantine,” a senior Delhi government official said. “The only difference in this new regulation for the UK nationals is that the length of home quarantine is longer and the requirement of another test after eight days,” he said.

The official said that while all international passengers were screened for Covid-19, the UK nationals were being identified separately and it was ensured that they were put under surveillance separately. “Usually, passengers are asked to remain in home quarantine, but now in the case of UK nationals, the district officials at their destination are being alerted immediately and it is their responsibility to keep the passengers under a health surveillance,” he added.

“Also, not only passengers destined for Delhi and getting out of the airport arrival terminal, but also samples for the RT-PCR test for transit passengers are being taken. The authorities of the state they are visiting are informed and in case the test result comes out positive, the local authorities are alerted immediately,” he said.

GOVT OFFICIAL SAYS

Only the passengers who return positive test for Covid-19 have to remain in institutional quarantine