Outdated Covid journey advisories, norms inflicting inconvenience to folks

Flying to Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands or Leh in Ladakh? Make positive that you’re carrying your RT-PCR take a look at in case you aren’t absolutely vaccinated.

While majority of states and union territories have relaxed Covid restrictions, a couple of nonetheless need unvaccinated travellers to mandatorily have both an RT-PCR take a look at report inside 48 to 96 hours earlier than beginning their journey or bear a take a look at on arrival at their respective airports.

South Andaman Deputy Commissioner Suneel Anchipaka informed PTI that the Union Territory follows the directions of its well being division for obligatory RT-PCR take a look at report for unvaccinated travellers arriving on the Port Blair airport.

Besides Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Ladakh is one other Union Territory the place unvaccinated travellers need to bear RT-PCR take a look at on the Leh airport.

Director of Health Services in Leh Dr. Motup Dorje mentioned, “We are doing random RT-PCR testing on tourists.”

A bit of scientists have referred to as it a futile train with none scientific rationale and argue that when it’s scientifically confirmed that even a vaccinated individual can transmit the virus, making RT-PCR take a look at obligatory for unvaccinated folks at airports doesn’t make sense.

Noted epidemiologist Jayaprakash Muliyil mentioned, “It is not needed at all. Everyone has at least once had the Covid infection. Even if a section of people did not get infected from the original strain or the Delta variant, they contracted the highly immunogenic variant Omicron. It boosted the earlier immunity sky high.”

“The Omicron did us a great favour. Today, if people don’t wear masks, they will have the benefits of a mild virus infecting and immunising them,” he mentioned.

Travellers too really feel hassled as conflicting norms trigger pointless inconvenience.

“I went to Port Blair with six other family members and we had to pay for their RT-PCR test which was an additional financial burden,” Sanjay, 28, who just lately flew to the island, claimed.

Outdated journey advisories on the web site of aviation firms is one other concern inflicting confusion, he mentioned.

IndiGo, on its web site, has talked about protocols that completely different state governments have laid out for passengers arriving at their respective airports.

Though it says that these norms have been up to date as newest as on November 9, many state well being officers informed PTI that they’ve already withdrawn them way back.

In the case of Nagaland, the protocol on the web site, says, “All passengers aged 12 years and above travelling to Nagaland are advised to be in possession of RT-PCR /TrueNAT/CBNAAT negative report not earlier than 72 hours from the arrival into the state or Final Vaccination certificate (two doses complete).”

“These are outdated norms. We don’t ask for any RT-PCR test to any person irrespective of his or her vaccination status,” State Nodal Officer, IDSP Department of Health and Family Welfare, Nagaland, Dr. Nyan Kikon mentioned, including that no northeastern state has such norms in pressure at current.

SpiceJet, on its web site, informs travellers who need to go to Srinagar that if they don’t carry their vaccination certificates, they must both carry their adverse RT-PCR take a look at report or bear a speedy antigen take a look at on arrival.

“This is not an updated status. Now we do not need any such certificate for anyone whether vaccinated or unvaccinated,” Dr. Syed Manzoor Kadri, State Surveillance Officer, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), Kashmir, mentioned.

While aviation firms refused to remark, some states have admitted that airways haven’t been up to date their newest advisories.

“I think both state health departments and airlines should be on the same page so that tourists and people travelling from one state to another do not suffer,” a senior officer from an aviation agency mentioned.

(Only the headline and movie of this report might have been reworked by the Business Standard workers; the remainder of the content material is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)