Mumbai airport’s new Covid protocols for international passengers

As announced on Monday, all flights to and from the UK remain suspended from December 22-31 midnight.

Mumbai: The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport has announced a fresh set of guidelines for all incoming/outgoing international passengers against the backdrop of the new Covid-19 virus strain detected in the UK, an official said here on Tuesday.

As announced on Monday, all flights to and from the UK remain suspended from December 22-31 midnight.

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Nevertheless, on Monday, the CSMIA handled four flights, three from London and one from Amsterdam carrying over 690 passengers, and all the passengers have been quarantined.

However, there are no flights from London scheduled on Tuesday, though five incoming and eight outgoing flights to Dubai, besides one for Doha.

The CSMIA has implemented compulsory institutional quarantine for all passengers arriving from the Gulf region and European countries, irrespective of their further travel plans.

Those found symptomatic on arrival shall be sent to designated Covid facilities for further evaluation.

The government will make arrangements to transport them to nearby hotels of their preference or institutional quarantine for 7 days at their own costs.

Instead of undergoing a Covid-19 test at the airport, the passengers shall be subjected to the RT-PCR tests during the 5th-7th days of the institutional quarantine at their own cost.

Passengers whose reports test positive will continue to be quarantined at the same venue or in a designated facility for 14 days, while those showing a negative test report will be discharged but will need to observe another 7 days home quarantine.

Preparing for the night curfew 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. starting from December 22 till January 5, 2021, passengers travelling to and from the airport during the specified hours shall be allowed to travel by taxies or public transportation.

The CSMIA has also enforced other necessary precautions for the safety of passengers and the airport personnel.

This includes the provision of PPE kits to all staff working at the airport, other stakeholders such as immigration, besides following stringent safety measures in the wake of the pandemic and the latest protocols.