KOCHI: In the wake of new COVID variant Omicron emerging, passengers arriving from abroad in Kerala will have to undergo a seven-day quarantine. All international passengers arriving from or with travel history to several countries, including Botswana, South Africa, Hong Kong, Brazil, Singapore and China, will have to undergo an RT-PCR test within 72 hours and upload it to the Airsuvidha portal.
The passengers have to undergo a seven-day quarantine. On the eighth day, another RT-PCR test will be done. If the passenger tests positive, the quarantine will continue for another seven days, officials said. Further, the samples of COVID-positive patients will be sent to one of the genome sequencing laboratories under the Indian SARS Cov-2 Genomics Consortium for further testing for the new variant.
The state government has deployed an eight-member team of health workers with Dr Hanish Meerasa as its nodal officer at the Kochi airport. The activities are being carried out in collaboration with Cochin International Airport Ltd.
A CIAL release said the surveillance is for those coming from Botswana, South Africa, Hong Kong, Brazil, Bangladesh, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore and Israel and those with a travel history in these countries. "We are complying with the central guidelines as concerns grow over the new variant of COVID," said an official at Kozhikode airport.
Strengthening vigil to avoid spread
Countries from where travellers would need to follow additional measures on arrival in Kerala, including post-arrival testing (countries at risk)
Countries in Europe, including The United Kingdom
South Africa
Brazil
Bangladesh
Botswana
China
Mauritius
New Zealand
Zimbabwe
Singapore
Hong Kong
Israel