Mandatory RT-PCR test for six East Asian nations removed as Covid cases dip

India has dropped the mandatory pre-departure RT-PCR test requirement for passengers coming from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Thailand. The revised rule will come into effect from Monday.

The Union health ministry had introduced the pre-departure test from January 1. The requirement was applicable to passengers transiting from these countries as well.

In a letter to civil aviation secretary Rajiv Bansal, secretary of union health and family welfare Rajesh Bhushan wrote that the six countries have witnessed a sustained and significant decline in the trajectory of Covid-19 cases in the last four weeks. Within the country too less than hundred cases are being reported each day.

Thus the norms have been updated and requirement of compulsory test and uploading of result on the air suvidha portal has been dropped.

However, the ongoing exercise of random testing of 2 per cent of travellers upon arrival for Covid-19 will continue, Bhushan wrote.