As the threat of Omicron variant of the COVID 19 virus looms large, the Maharashtra Government on Tuesday issued guidelines for the international travellers. The newly appointed chief secretary Debashish Chakravarty in his first order said the international passengers arriving from at Risk countries (declared by GOI from time to time) may be deplaned on priority and separate counters will be arranged by MIAL and Airport Authority for their checking. ‘’Such all passengers shall have to undergo mandatory 7 day institutional quarantine and RTPCR test to be carried out on days 2, 4 and 7 for these passengers. If any of the tests is found to be positive, then the passenger shall be shifted to a hospital. In case of all tests coming negative, the passenger will have to undergo a further 7 days of home quarantine.’’
Passengers from any other countries except the at risk countries will have to compulsorily undergo RTPCR test at the airport on arrival and on being found negative, will have to undergo 14 days of home quarantine. If found positive, they will be shifted to the hospital.
In case of an international passenger having a connecting flight to any other airport in India (without leaving the airport at all), passenger shall undergo a RTPCR test at the first arrival airport in Maharashtra and only on being found negative will he be allowed to board the connecting flight. Information about such passengers shall be passed on by the airline of the connecting flight to the destination airport before take-off so that destination airport can make arrangements for segregating these passengers on arrival thereat.
In case such a passenger is taking a connecting flight to an airport in Maharashtra, passenger shall be subjected to quarantine rules mentioned herein for landing directly from an international source.
In the case of domestic air travel, passengers travelling within the State will either have to be fully vaccinated or compulsorily carry a RTPCR test within 48 hours of the time of arrival. Further, in case of passengers from other States, negative RTPCR test within 48 hours of arrival will be compulsory without exceptions.
Moreover, DCP immigration and FRRO drafted a proforma of declaration for all arriving passengers on international flights to declare details of the countries visited in last 15 days. MIAL to share the proformas with all airlines and the information regarding travel in the last 15 days shall be cross checked by immigration on arrival. An incorrect information furnished by the passenger shall lead to action under relevant sections of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
