The government has allowed RT-PCR testing at the airport of entry on a pilot basis to facilitate the transfer of international passengers, it said in Parliament on Wednesday.
Airports will set up sample collection-cum-waiting lounges. Passengers can either wait for the test results here or proceed to a hotel nearby for isolation until the result is known. These tests can be booked online, according to information shared by the Minister of State for Civil Aviation Hardeep Puri in the Rajya Sabha.
If the test result is negative, passengers will be permitted to exit the waiting lounge and proceed to the departure gate to catch the connecting flight. However, if the result is positive, they will be processed in line with applicable ICMR protocols by the State authorities.