In what is a big relief for many planning to return or travel to India, passengers will be able to seek exemption from mandatory institutional quarantine on arrival. This is part of the new guidelines announced on August 2 which will come into effect from August 8.
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The guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have also halved the duration of quarantine from 14 days each of institutional quarantine and home quarantine to 7 days.
Passengers can seek exemption on grounds of “compelling reasons”, which include pregnancy, death in the family, and serious illness. Travellers accompanied by children under 10 years also fall into this category. Passengers will have to apply to the www.newdelhiairport.in to seek relief at least 72 hours before boarding the flight. The decision will then be communicated online.
Additionally, those who don't fall into any of these categories, may also seek exemption from institutional quarantine “by submitting a negative RT-PCR test report on arrival”. The test should be conducted within 96 hours of undertaking the journey.
Such passengers will have to undergo home quarantine for the total duration of 14 days.
These guidelines supersede those issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on May 24. Earlier, passengers were required to register with the Indian embassy in their country, but now they can simply register online at www.newdelhiairport.in .
