RT-PCR test mandatory for passengers arriving from China, Singapore, Thailand

India decided to conduct mandatory RT-PCR tests for passengers arriving from China, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand and Japan on the basis of arising new covid variants. The test has to be conducted within 72 hrs prior to undertaking the journey, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in a press release issued on January 2, 2023.

The release said that the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Air Suvidha Portal has to be made operational for passengers on all international flights from these countries, with a provision to allow international travellers arriving in India to submit negative RT-PCR test reports as well as to submit self-declaration form on this portal.

Meanwhile, India recorded 173 new COVID cases in the last 24 hours, according to Union Health Ministry data. With the new cases, the number of active cases in India now stands at 2,670. In the country, 207 people also recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours taking the total recoveries to 4,41,45,445 with a recovery rate of 98.8 per cent.