India has removed Covid-19 RT-PCR testing and quarantine for fully vaccinated passengers from 82 countries, which include the US and the UK. Under the new guidelines issued by the union ministry of health and family welfare on Thursday, India has also done away with its classification of `at risk’ countries as well.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India has issued new guidelines for international arrivals which will be effective from February 14,2022,
The new norms will replace the ones issued on January 20, under which passengers from all countries had to undergo an RT-PCR test within 72 hours of undertaking the journey. The January 20 guidelines are currently followed and under this, passengers from `at risk’ countries have to undergo another RT-PCR test on arrival. If they tested negative, they would have to home quarantine for a week and had to undergo another RT-PCR test on the eighth day of arrival into India.
From February 14 onwards, fully vaccinated passengers from 82 countries can fly into India without testing and quarantine, if they are vaccinated and free of symptoms.
The 82 countries include those that have agreement with India on mutual recognition of vaccination certificates of nationally recognized or WHO recognized vaccines, said the guideline.