As part of keeping strict vigil against COVID-19 new variant Omicron, Cochin International Airport Ltd. (CIAL) has decided to scale up testing facilities for international arrivals. The airport operator will facilitate 700 tests per hour from Thursday, said a communication here.
A meeting here, which included senior officials of the airport, decided to incorporate both rapid PCR and RT-PCR tests to ensure smooth passenger movement in the international arrival area. In addition to the current capacity of 350 RT-PCR tests per hour, an equal number of rapid PCR testing facilities will be arranged.
As per the latest guidelines issued by the Health and Family Welfare Ministry, all passengers arriving from at-risk countries have to be tested at the airport and will have to wait at the holding area till the results are out.
The Health authorities said the results of RT-PCR test could be provided in five hours whereas the result of Rapid PCR will be delivered in 30 minutes.
Passengers will have the option to choose the test as per their requirements. They have to pay the testing charge as prescribed by the government. A special holding area has been set up for passengers to wait at the terminal to get the results delivered. There will be special immigration counters for passengers arriving from the countries enlisted in the at-risk category.
Airport Director A.C.K. Nair, Executive Director A.M. Shabeer, Operations General Manager C. Dinesh Kumar, District Medical Officer V. Jayasree and Nodal Officer M.M. Haneesh were among those who participated in the meeting, the communication from CIAL added.
