<p>The passengers from countries which have reported the new Omicron Covid variant will be tested for Covid on arrival and they will have to undergo mandatory home quarantine, Health Minister K Sudhakar said.</p>.<p>However, confusion prevails as the Bangalore International Airport authorities confirmed that there are no direct or transit flights from the affected countries - Belgium, Israel, Hong Kong, Botswana and South Africa.</p>.<p>Sudhakar said that if the travellers from the affected countries test positive, they will stay in and around the airport and will be treated, if needed.</p>.<p>Asked if a passenger’s passport will be checked if he/she has been to any of the affected countries and landed in other airports of the country, before taking a flight to Bengaluru, airport authorities said they were only to follow circulars issued by the state and central governments so far.</p>.<p>A BIAL spokesperson said, “If a passenger is coming from any of the countries in the Middle East but has been to one of the affected countries before that, then he/she will be segregated and tested. But the state government needs to clarify the period for which a passenger’s travel history has to be checked: only past 24 hours or more.”</p>.<p>BIAL has no data on the number of such transit passengers from affected countries who have landed in Bengaluru, and whether they have been tested.</p>.<p>When pointed out that Belgium, one of the affected countries, was not on the list of at-risk countries and airport authorities were testing only those flying from the 12 at-risk countries, Karnataka Health Secretary T K Anil Kumar sought more time to clarify.</p>.<p>“In the state government circulars so far we have merely reiterated what the central government has mandated,” he said.</p>.<p><strong>14 days post-arrival</strong></p>.<p>As per the central government’s circular dated October 20 (which the state government reissued on October 25) passengers from at-risk countries if fully vaccinated have to merely self-monitor their health for 14 days post-arrival. If a passenger is not vaccinated or is only partially vaccinated, a post-arrival Covid test is done, and the passenger is in home quarantine for seven days.</p>.<p>A retest is done on the eighth day, and if negative, the passenger will be asked to self-monitor his/her health for the next seven days.</p>.<p><em><strong>Check out the latest DH videos here:</strong></em></p>
<p>The passengers from countries which have reported the new Omicron Covid variant will be tested for Covid on arrival and they will have to undergo mandatory home quarantine, Health Minister K Sudhakar said.</p>.<p>However, confusion prevails as the Bangalore International Airport authorities confirmed that there are no direct or transit flights from the affected countries - Belgium, Israel, Hong Kong, Botswana and South Africa.</p>.<p>Sudhakar said that if the travellers from the affected countries test positive, they will stay in and around the airport and will be treated, if needed.</p>.<p>Asked if a passenger’s passport will be checked if he/she has been to any of the affected countries and landed in other airports of the country, before taking a flight to Bengaluru, airport authorities said they were only to follow circulars issued by the state and central governments so far.</p>.<p>A BIAL spokesperson said, “If a passenger is coming from any of the countries in the Middle East but has been to one of the affected countries before that, then he/she will be segregated and tested. But the state government needs to clarify the period for which a passenger’s travel history has to be checked: only past 24 hours or more.”</p>.<p>BIAL has no data on the number of such transit passengers from affected countries who have landed in Bengaluru, and whether they have been tested.</p>.<p>When pointed out that Belgium, one of the affected countries, was not on the list of at-risk countries and airport authorities were testing only those flying from the 12 at-risk countries, Karnataka Health Secretary T K Anil Kumar sought more time to clarify.</p>.<p>“In the state government circulars so far we have merely reiterated what the central government has mandated,” he said.</p>.<p><strong>14 days post-arrival</strong></p>.<p>As per the central government’s circular dated October 20 (which the state government reissued on October 25) passengers from at-risk countries if fully vaccinated have to merely self-monitor their health for 14 days post-arrival. If a passenger is not vaccinated or is only partially vaccinated, a post-arrival Covid test is done, and the passenger is in home quarantine for seven days.</p>.<p>A retest is done on the eighth day, and if negative, the passenger will be asked to self-monitor his/her health for the next seven days.</p>.<p><em><strong>Check out the latest DH videos here:</strong></em></p>
