Health Ministry issues guidelines for domestic travel

The Home Ministry had on the 20th of this month amended the guidelines on lockdown measures to fight COVID-19, to facilitate domestic air travel.

With domestic civil aviation starting from tomorrow, the Health Ministry has issued guidelines for domestic travel, advising passengers to download the Aarogya Setu app on their mobile devices and asking states to ensure thermal screening at departure point of airports, railway stations and bus terminals. Asymptomatic passengers should be permitted to travel after being asked to self-monitor for 14 days. Do’s and Don’ts shall be provided along with tickets to travellers by agencies concerned.

The people who are symptomatic will be isolated and taken to the nearest health facility and will be assessed for clinical severity at the health facility.

Those having moderate or severe symptoms will be admitted to dedicated COVID health facilities and managed accordingly. Those having mild symptoms will be given the option of home isolation or isolated in the COVID Care Centre and tested as per ICMR protocol.

If positive, they will continue in COVID Care Centre and will be managed as per clinical protocol. If negative, the passenger may be allowed to go home, isolate and self-monitor their health for further 7 days. In case, any symptoms develop, they shall inform the district surveillance officer or the state or the national call centre.

The ministry said that states can also develop their own protocol with regards to quarantine and isolation as per their assessment.