The Ministry of Health issued travel guidelines on Sunday for passengers taking the air/road/rail route, a day before India resumes domestic flight services, barring a few states. Compulsory face masks for all travellers and mandatory thermal screening at all entry and exit points are among the crucial guidelines.
However, downloading the Aarogya Setu app on passengers’ mobile phones have been made optional by the Health Ministry, which added that only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to board the flight/train/bus.
The travel guidelines have been issued keeping in view maximum precautions that can be taken to check the spread of the coronavirus spread. The final dos and don'ts will be provided along with the tickets to the travellers by the agencies concerned.
Passengers having mild symptoms will be given the option of home isolation or isolated in the Covid Care Centre as appropriate and tested as per ICMR protocol available. If the individuals test positive, they will continue in COVID Care Centre and will be managed as per clinical protocol.
However, if negative, the passenger may be allowed to go home, isolate himself/herself and self-monitor his/her health for further 7 days. In case, any symptoms develop they shall inform the district surveillance officer or the state/national call center (1075).
The Ministry specified that states can also develop their own protocol with regards to quarantine and isolation as per their assessment.
Guidelines for domestic travel (air/train/inter-state bus travel)
1. Dos and Don'ts shall be provided along with tickets to the travellers by the agencies concerned.
2. All passengers shall be advised to download Arogya Setu app on their mobile devices.
3. Suitable announcement about COVID-19 including precautionary measures to be followed shall be made at airports/railway station/bus terminals and in flights/trains/bus.
4. The States/UTs shall ensure that all passengers shall undergo thermal screening at the point of departure and only asymptomatic passengers are allowed to board the flight/train/bus.
5. During boarding and travel, all passengers shall use face covers/mask. They will also follow hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene and maintain environmental hygiene.
6. At airports/railway stations/ bus terminals required measures to ensure social distancing shall be taken.
7. Airports/railway stations/bus terminals should be regularly sanitized/disinfected and availability of soaps and sanitizers shall be ensured.
8. Thermal screening at exit point shall be arranged.
9. Asymptomatic passengers will be permitted to go with the advice that they shall self-monitor their health for 14 days. In case, they develop any symptoms, they shall inform the district surveillance officer or the state/national call center (1075).
10. Those found symptomatic will be isolated and taken to the nearest health facility. They will be assessed for clinical severity at the health facility.
11. Those having moderate or severe symptoms will be admitted to dedicated COVID Health facilities and managed accordingly.
12. Those having mild symptoms will be given the option of home isolation or isolated in the Covid Care Centre (both public & private facilities) as appropriate and tested as per ICMR protocol available here.
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 himself/herself and self-monitor his/her health for further 7 days. In case, any symptoms develop they shall inform the district surveillance officer or the state/national call center (1075).
The guidelines come after the Indian Railways last week issued a list of 100 pairs of trains that it will operate from June 1, putting in operation popular trains such as Durontos, Sampark Krantis, Jan Shatabdis and Poorva Express.
Also, after a two-month hiatus, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has announced resumption of domestic flights from May 25.
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