RT-PCR must for in-bound travellers from 7 countries
Kolkata: The Health department has prepared a new protocol for international travellers mandating them to undergo RT-PCR tests on their arrival at the city airport irrespective of negative test reports or vaccination completion certificates they carry from their countries.
The new norm will be implemented on the travellers entering the state from seven countries — Bangladesh, South Africa, China, New Zealand, Mauritius, Zimbabwe and Bosnia as new variants have been found in these countries. Passengers have to pay for undergoing RT-PCR tests at the airport. If someone wants to avail free tests, he/she will be sent to Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI). The decision was taken at a meeting at Swasthya Bhawan on Tuesday.
If someone is found positive, he/she will be admitted to the Beliaghata ID Hospital and contact tracing and quarantine will be followed, said a senior health official. The Health department will also prepare a guideline as to how to keep surveillance on foreign travellers. Those coming from Bangladesh for treatment will have to abide by certain protocols. The Health department may ask the airport authorities to share the list of foreign travellers and their whereabouts so that they can be tracked. The civic bodies and police stations may be asked to keep an eye on them.
"International passengers coming from the 7 countries will have to undergo RT-PCR tests mandatorily as per the directives of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It is already applied to passengers from the UK and Brazil. The seven countries have been newly added to the list. One can also take a free test at the CNCI," said Director of Health Services, Dr Ajay Chakraborty.
Meanwhile, India logged 31,222 fresh cases taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,30,58,843, while the active cases were recorded below four lakh, according to the Union Health ministry data updated on Tuesday.
The death toll has climbed to 4,41,042 with 290 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am. The case fatality rate was recorded at 1.33 per cent.
