Omicron: Chairs which can be socially distanced have been positioned in lengthy rows for passengers at Delhi airport
New Delhi:
Flyers from international locations the place Omicron has been discovered could also be caught on the Delhi airport for as much as six hours whereas they wait for his or her RT-PCR exams, sources mentioned immediately.
Testing at airports in India has been made important for vacationers from greater than 14 at-risk nations the place the Omicron variant has been detected.
Covid check outcomes will take between 4 to 6 hours – for every passenger – to be launched, say sources. The corporate dealing with RT-PCR exams can course of 400-500 exams an hour, the sources say, including that efforts are being made to ramp up testing amenities.
A median Europe to Delhi direct flight takes 8.5 hours. Add two hours on the airport earlier than the flight, six hours on the Delhi airport and no less than an hour to clear customs and immigration and choose up one’s baggage. That makes no less than 17 hours earlier than the passenger can go away the Delhi airport.
If a minimal of two.5 hours is added for a connecting flight by means of the Center East, which means 19.5 hours. A connecting flight after a six-hour halt on the Delhi airport may add no less than 2.5 hours to the time, relying on the vacation spot. So some passengers may very well be taking a look at a journey time approaching virtually 24 hours.
As of now, all passengers from Europe, South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel might be examined on the airport utilizing the RT-PCR methodology. 5 per cent of travellers from different international locations may even be randomly examined.
All these passengers are set to face lengthy hours of ready on the airport earlier than they are often allowed to exit or take a connecting flight.
It’s not identified but what number of testing counters might be arrange.
Movies immediately confirmed preparations on the Delhi Worldwide airport. Chairs which can be socially distanced have been positioned in lengthy rows inside a holding space for passengers who might want to take the RT-PCR check upon arrival and anticipate the outcomes.
The federal government tightened guidelines for screening and testing of worldwide arrivals after a person who not too long ago returned from South Africa examined optimistic for COVID-19. The pressure has not but been established. There isn’t any Omicron case in India as of now, the federal government mentioned in parliament immediately.
Underneath the brand new guidelines, passengers might be requested to declare 14 days’ journey historical past and they’ll have to be on a seven-day quarantine in the event that they check detrimental.
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