Open House: Do you think the decision to resume flights was taken in the right earnest?

Ensure Covid rules are followed in flights

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The Union Government had suspended international flights on March 23 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and now, after almost two years, they are resumed for the public. The government has also eased Covid-19 safety rules at airports and in flights such as doing away with having three vacant seats inside an aircraft for social distancing. With the removal of ‘Air Bubble’ agreements, there could be some relief for passengers as the summer vacations will begin soon. However, the airfares might go up due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War which has increased the oil prices worldwide. The pandemic is again picking up pace in China and some European nations, which calls for extra caution. Covid-19 precautions should be mandatory on flights and airports so that the risk of infection can be drastically reduced.

JATINDERPAL SINGH BATTH

Travel curbs must be eased gradually

Many countries including India had halted some or all international travel since onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, but now are reducing restrictions on travel. However, there should be serious considerations for national health authorities when going ahead with gradual return to international travel operations. The gradual lifting of travel restrictions should be based on a thorough risk assessment, taking into account country context and national health and measures to control the possible outbreak and also the capacities in the country and destination countries. As the Covid-19 epidemiological situation will vary among countries, international travel carries different levels of risk of exportation/ importation of SARS-CoV-2 virus, depending on the passenger’s country of departure and country of arrival. The risk of importation of cases in the country of arrival depends on a number of factors including the epidemiological situation in country of departure and country of arrival travel. But most important points to be kept in minds for all the air travellers is to not lower their guards and strictly follow the guidelines by their travel authorities, especially with respect to virus control restrains if any. During the start of Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, India’s Covid cases were on the rise after rise, mostly due to International air travellers importing infection from UK, Italy and some other countries. It is hoped that same type of importation of virus does not get repeated now and air travel becomes the victim once again.

PS Kaur

Screen, test every foreign traveller

Yes, the decision of resumption of international operations is in the best interest of the citizens. Although Covid-19 worst outbreak is going on in European nations and China, the decision will not affect adversely citizens of our country. The citizens desirous of going to other countries and tourists wanting to explore India can go and come when ever and where ever they like. The only precaution which our government needs to take is to implement strict guidelines of Covid protocols at airports. Every foreign traveller must wear face masks, Covid tests must be done and proper social distancing should be made. If this thing is done, then there is no fear of Covid coming to our country from foreigners and citizens will remain safe.

Sanjay Chawla

People should take preventive measures

With the outbreak of any disease, medical science with the help of its research wing tries to overpower it. But just then another disease appears treatment follows and so on, till date this process continued without break. Just take the example of plague which took millions of lives in the past but soon solution to this deadly disease appeared. Same was the fate of diseases such as chickenpox, polio etc. Sometimes nature and medical science do play hide and seek game also. In case of AIDS, cause of the disease is known but solution to the problem is not available whereas in case of cancer, cause of the disease is not known whereas solution is available in the initial stage. Like any suspense movie there is some very exciting moment in the life, as in case of cancer there is sufficient time for the patient to say bye-bye to his/her near and dear ones whereas in case of heart attack no such time period is allowed. And Covid and its different variants are part of the same old series. We are to live with it then why to be afraid of it? Yes we must take all precautionary measures like vaccination in the prescribed manners. Now, the question arises that India has opened regular international operations, so what is the harm in it! Life is not possible without livelihood. This is dependent on export-import, study abroad, tourism etc hence opening of international operation is a step in the right direction.

Naresh Johar

Will help connect country with world

Battered by the pandemic, the airline industry is slowly creeping back to normalcy and the resumption of regular international flights is expected to provide the much needed fillip to the sector. The decision will help connect the country with the world and will put an end to the temporary air-bubble arrangement that India negotiated with many countries. It will further boost the international capacity and help reduce air fares which have been soaring up due to increased demand and rise in crude oil prices. It will also provide an impetus to economic recovery for the sector and the nation. Besides it provides a glimmer of hope for the hospitality industry too which was hit hard during the pandemic. Hence, the decision bodes well for the aviation industry. But the citizens are apprehensive as there is a tidal surge in Covid cases in Europe and Asia, particularly China began its most extensive Covid lockdown in two years to conduct mass testing and control a growing outbreak in Shanghai, China’s financial capital and largest city. People are of the considered view that flights should be resumed only from/to those countries where test positivity rate is in low single digit. Reporting of a steep rise in Covid cases by several countries across the globe is making Indian citizens jittery about international travellers. Since daily Covid cases in the country continue to decline, citizens are afraid that opening doors to foreign travellers might undo the gains made so far in containing the deadly virus. Therefore, the decision taken must be in the best interest of the citizens.

Tarsem S Bumrah

Time to watch covid situation carefully

As the trajectory of Covid-19 pandemic continues to see a worrisome upward trend in China and some European countries due to a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant, the civil aviation ministry’s announcement about the resumption of full scale overseas flights from March 27 onwards post a two-year halt amid relaxed mandatory health and safety guidelines is not wholly welcome. No doubt, it will help those travelling abroad for various reasons, bring the battered aviation sector to normalcy and boost its economy and lower airfares which were almost doubled during the Covid-19 outbreak. But many countries have imposed curbs on passengers who have not yet received the third precautionary shot. The move has not truly elated the young aspirants because only the health workers, frontline workers and senior citizens are recipients of the booster dose so far in the country. In view of the increasing corona cases in many parts across the world and the problems being faced in international travel, those above 18 years should also be included in this category without any further delay. However, the government deserves a pat for making international operations subject to the Health Ministry’s guidelines that all foreign travellers, especially from at-risk countries, coming to India should have a full-vaccination certificate or a negative RT-PCR report of the test conducted 72 hours prior to boarding. They should also be quarantined at least for a week after their arrival. It is time to watch the emerging pandemic situation very carefully.

Simran & Tajpreet S Kang

Future transmission cannot be ruled out

The government’s decision of allowing full scale resumption of international flights is a welcome step but needs to be supported by a slew of precautionary measures that are internationally recognised in documented Covid appropriate behaviour. This is a reality that life is a continuous process and its movements can’t be curtailed forever. Simultaneously, the creation and transmission of various human viruses in future cannot be totally ruled out. Even as on date, the threat of Covid-19 is still persisting and some major countries are found struggling to tackle the resultant variants. However, the world cannot sit over unpredictable future of contagious diseases except to learn how to face and cope with such deadly uncertainties through past experiences and scientific approaches. The operations of international flights, therefore, need to be regulated and streamlined through a well-defined regime of SOP with added revised precautions necessitated over the period while ensuring meticulous compliance thereof at all levels.

JAGDISH CHANDER

Safety of travellers must be a top priority

The Centre’s decision to reopen regular international flights after Covid-induced hiatus of about two years has evoked a mixed response. While many call it an important step in the right direction, others consider it ill-conceived in view of a sudden surge in Covid-19 cases in China and a few European nations. After having recognising the increased vaccination across the world, the government has bowed to the persistent demand of people going abroad for higher, employment, sports, official and business activities, and leisure trips during the summer vacations. This step will give a fillip to economic recovery of the aviation sector and the country. It will also bring down airfares that were drastically increased because of limited flights under the bilateral air bubble arrangements with thirty seven countries in the wake of the pandemic. But amid waning immunity from vaccination, the government should not slacken and lower its guard against the deadly virus. Like the health and frontline workers and beneficiaries above sixty years of age, it should immediately make provisions for Covid booster dose to the prospective young travellers. Moreover, the authorities should retain a check on infection certificate and strict compliance of the prescribed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for passengers coming from at-risk nations. They should provide adequate staff at airports to ensure hassle-free immigration and safety and convenience of travellers on priority basis.

D S Kang

Bringing normalcy in travelling vital

With the advent of Covid-19 pandemic, businesses and enterprises had to undergo big ordeals, academic curriculum too was badly affected. Among others, tourism and hospitality sector witnessed the worst period as social gatherings were limited besides modes of transportation viz. surface, sea and aviation were disrupted due to Covid scare. Under the circumstances, the only alternative was online conduct of events and activities. Now after a long imperative of contagion of the deadly virus, many countries across the globe have opened up the restrictions though China and few European countries are still wary of the Covid situation. Our government has also withdrawn the impositions in the larger public interest and business development, despite some of our citizens, including children below 15 years, are yet not jabbed. Though new cases have dropped, a mild threat from new variants of the virus still persists.

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath

QUESTION

The newly elected MLAs in the district have started taking stock of ills prevailing in the present system. From illegal mining to health and civic services, everything has come under the scanner in the past few days. What are main issues that need to be taken up on a priority and require early resolution?

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to amritsardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (April 7)