The negative COVID report requirement is in addition to the random testing of international passengers on their arrival in India irrespective of their port of departure. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
Wary of COVID-19 cases, the government has made RT-PCR negative report a mandatory requirement for air travellers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand.
In its latest guidelines for international travellers, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has said a pre-departure test conducted 72 hours before the journey will be mandatory from January 1 for passengers from these five countries.
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Travellers arriving in India will also have to fill a self-declaration form on the Air Suvidha portal besides uploading a copy of their RT-PCR test report.
The International Air Transport Association, which represents more than 300 airlines across the world, opposed the decision. “India’s decision to reintroduce COVID-19 testing is disappointing and a step backward,” said Philip Goh, IATA’s Regional Vice-President for Asia Pacific.
He added that governments needed to respond based on science and facts and experience from the last three years showed thattravel restrictions and testing requirements were ineffective.
“Testing requirements have a negative impact on travel as people tend to avoid being tested,” he added.
The impact of the move on travel demand will be known in the days to come.
“The announcement is unlikely to have an immediate impact as bookings are done much in advance. However, going forward we might see some drop,” said Rajiv Mehra, Indian Association of Tour Operators.