NEW DELHI: The Indian Health Ministry announced on Saturday that travellers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand will be required to provide the results of an RT-PCR test because of an increase in Covid-19 cases around the world due to the BF.7 strain.
Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya provided additional information, stating that passengers from these nations will be quarantined if they exhibit symptoms of Covid-19 or test positive for it. He also said that foreign travellers travelling from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand will have to fill out an 'Air Suvidha' form to certify their current health status.
The number of coronavirus infections in India climbed by 201, bringing the total to 4.46 crore, while the number of active cases rose to 3,397, the Union Health Ministry stated on Saturday. The ministry's data was revised at 8 am and shows that there have been 5,30,691 fatalities, with one death in Kerala being reconciled.
Weekly optimism was 0.14 percent, while the daily positivity was 0.15 percent. The active COVID-19 case count has increased by 17 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the ministry.
Thursday's warnings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi against complacency, tight vigilance, and strengthening of ongoing monitoring efforts, particularly at international airports, were made earlier in the day.
In order to reduce the risk of any new coronavirus variants entering the nation, the Union Health Ministry has already requested that the civil aviation ministry ensure random post-arrival Covid testing at airports of 2% of passengers arriving in India on each international flight starting on Saturday.
India has also increased its monitoring of the Covid-19 virus as coronavirus infections rise in China and several other nations. In order to reduce the incidences, state governments issued Covid-19 advice after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya attended Covid-19 review meetings.
According to sources, the Central government advised states and union territories to make sure that hospitals have functional ventilators, a sufficient supply of cylinders, and access to liquid medical oxygen so that they can handle any emergency.
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