Travellers from 6 countries not required to furnish Covid test

Charanjit Singh Teja

Amritsar, February 13

Passengers flying to India from Singapore will not need a pre-departure Covid test as per the latest guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The procedure to upload a self-health declaration on Air Suvidha portal has also been done away with.

The guidelines are also applicable on passengers coming from Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and China. The decision was taken by the Central Government due to improvement in Covid situation in these six countries.

These new guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare came into force today. Before this, a passenger arriving in India from Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and China had to get tested for Covid. As per the latest guidelines, two per cent of the passengers arriving from any of these countries will continue to be tested at the airport.

Sameep Singh Gumtala, convener, Fly Amritsar Initiatives, said Scoot operates direct flights between Amritsar and Singapore. A large number of passengers, including Punjabis, come to Amritsar from Australia via Singapore. This is a great relief for them.

Kuldeep Singh, a passenger from Melbourne, Australia, said, “I have recently travelled from Melbourne to Amritsar via Singapore. There was a condition by the Indian Government to upload a self-health declaration on Air Suvidha portal. I was not aware of it. At the last moment, the airport staff informed me about it. It was inconveniencing and it is a good step if the government has withdrawn the decision.”

Move will benefit those arriving from Oz

• The new guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare came into force on Monday. Before this, a passenger arriving in India from Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and China had to get tested for Covid
• As per the latest guidelines, two per cent of the passengers arriving from any of these countries will continue to be tested at the airport
• The decision was taken by the Central Government due to improvement in Covid situation in these six countries
• A large number of passengers, including Punjabis, come to Amritsar from Australia via Singapore. This is a great relief for them