Covid guidelines India: RT-PCR test mandatory from January 1 for passengers travelling from China, 5 other countries

Covid guidelines India: India on Thursday announced that RT-PCR test would be mandatory from January 1 for international passengers travelling from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand.

According to a tweet by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, passengers will have to upload their reports on the Air Suvidha portal before travel.

The tests have to be conducted within 72 hours of undertaking the journey to India, Mandaviya said.

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This requirement is in addition to the random two per cent tests of all international passengers in all incoming international flights on their arrival in India irrespective of their port of departure, the minister said.

Amid a spike in coronavirus cases in some countries, the government has sounded an alert, tightened Covid guidelines and asked states and Union territories to prepare for any eventuality.

India recorded 268 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases increased to 3,552, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday.

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The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.11 per cent while the weekly positivity was pegged at 0.17 per cent, the ministry said.