Kerala: New travel rules for international passengers

Kerala on Saturday revised its guidelines for international travellers and issued new COVID rules for those arriving in the state from abroad. According to the fresh guidelines, the international travellers will have to undergo symptom surveillance upon arrival at the airport. The international travellers, who show symptoms of COVID-19, will have to undergo RT-PCR test at the airport

As per the new rules, home quarantine have been advised for international travellers and they will have to self monitor their health for seven days since the day of arrival. If they show any symptoms of coronavirus, they will have to undergo mandatory COVID testing, according to the order. 

"Any international traveller irrespective of duration of stay in Kerala will undergo symptomatic surveillance. If symptomatic, she/he will undertake RTPCT test at cost and take further actions as per the results," the order stated. 

According to the new order, "random testing of two per cent of international travellers in the flight irrespective of country of departure to be done free of cost (state shall bear the cost. and the selection of the passengers to be done by airlines' officers".

Last month, Kerala mandated seven-day home quarantine for people arriving in the state from 'at-risk' countries. Besides, the government had also made the RT-PCR test compulsory for people coming from Omicron-hit nations. However, the fresh guidelines issued today (February 5) stated that the travellers will have to undergo self-home quarantine.