The West Bengal government on Tuesday released a set of guidelines for domestic flyers, including submission of self-declaration forms on arrival. Meanwhile, the Delhi government has said asymptomatic passengers coming via trains, flights or buses will not have to be in home quarantine.
The Centre had allowed the states to formulate their own standard operating procedures as domestic flights resumed on Monday after two months amid the nationwide lockdown to control the coronavirus.
West Bengal will resume domestic flight operations from Thursday. Passengers flying to the state will be screened for the coronavirus before boarding planes and after landing. All passengers will be required to submit a filled up self-declaration form to state health officials upon their arrival. Asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to go home and will need to closely monitor their health for 14 days.
Symptomatic patients will be taken to health facilities and tested for coronavirus.
The state government’s guidelines also include sanitisation of airport premises and physical distancing.
West Bengal has reported 3,816 cases of the coronavirus and 278 deaths, according to data from the Union health ministry. The state is also emerging from the aftermath of Cyclone Amphan.
No home quarantine for asymptomatic travellers to Delhi
Meanwhile, those arriving in Delhi via trains, flights or buses will not have to be in home quarantine if they are asymptomatic, the government said in its latest guidelines, reported The Indian Express. “Asymptomatic passengers will be permitted to go with the advice that they shall self-monitor their health for 14 days,” the Directorate General of Health Services’ order read. “In case they develop any symptoms, they shall inform the concerned Delhi Disaster Management Authority helpline numbers or the state helpline number.”
The order added that symptomatic people will be isolated and transported through Centralised Accident and Trauma Services’ ambulances to the “linked health facilities” where they will be checked for “clinical severity”. Those with severe symptoms will be admitted to coronavirus health facilities and mild cases may opt for home isolation or quarantine at Covid care centres.
Link care centres or hospitals have been assigned for the airport, railways and bus terminals for incoming symptomatic passengers. Testing is done at these centres and those whose results come back positive have to continue their stay.
Other states
Most states have allowed a 14-day home quarantine for asymptomatic passengers. Andhra Pradesh, however, mandated a seven-day institutional quarantine for people arriving from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. The Karnataka government had also said that it would keep passengers coming from these states in institutional quarantine for seven days.
Domestic flight operations across the country resumed on Monday. There was confusion at many airports on day one as flights were cancelled in Delhi, Mumbai and other cities, and passengers complained that they did not get any prior notice from airlines. Long queues were seen at airports due to mandatory checks.
The number of coronavirus cases in India reached 1,45,380 on Tuesday as 6,535 more people tested positive. The toll rose to 4,167 with 146 new deaths. India is now among the 10 countries with the most number of coronavirus cases.
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