THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: International passengers from nations that already reported Omicron cases will have to undergo a 14-day quarantine, said health minister Veena George.
They will be tested upon arrival and those tested will have to undergo 14 days home quarantine. Those tested positive on arrival will be shifted to separate institutional quarantine. Their samples will be collected for genetic sequencing to check if they were infected with the Omicron variant of the virus.
There will be a retest conducted on people in home quarantine on the 8th day. However they will have to complete the quarantine period even if they tested negative, said the minister.
She said the health department has deployed more health workers at airports for facilitating the monitoring of passengers.
Five percent of international passengers from other countries will be subjected to random testing. They have been advised to self-monitor for 14 days.
The Central Government Sunday issued revised guidelines for international travellers in the wake of Omicron cases reported from multiple countries.
The ‘at risk’ countries included Europe, the United Kingdom, and 11 other countries - South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Israel.