COVID-19: Turkey lifts mandatory quarantine for fully vaccinated travellers from India

In a major development affecting international travellers, Turkey has eased quarantine rules for travellers from India. Starting September 4, Indian passengers would be exempted from mandatory quarantine given they have been fully inoculated using COVID vaccines approved for emergency use by WHO or the Turkish administration. As of now, Covishield has been given a green light by WHO while Sputnik has been okayed by Turkish health officials. 

In an online statement, the Turkish Embassy in New Delhi further stated that all passengers, regardless, would be required to submit a negative PCR test “taken no more than 72 hours before arrival.” It also specified that children below the age of 12 years are exempted from the compulsory rule. Additionally, the airline staff would also be exempted from the precautionary requirement. 

For unvaccinated travellers, isolation for 10 days would be compulsory. On the tenth day they would also be required to take an RT-PCR test. All those with a negative report would be freed from quarantine while isolation would be extended to 14 days for those who do not take the COVID test.

The Philippines lifts travel ban on India 

Starting September 6, the Philippines will lift the travel ban on India and nine other countries, according to the Presidential Palace announcement. President Rodrigo Duterte approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to lift the current travel restrictions on India and nine other countries starting September 6, Presidential Palace spokesperson Harry Roque was quoted as saying by PTI. The other countries are Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, the official said.

Cambodia lifts ban on travellers on India

Previously, Cambodia had lifted its travel ban on passengers from India. Health Minister Mam Benhueng asserted that Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen has approved the lifting of the ban on people travelling from India. Bunheng in the statement added that the order of lifting ban on travellers from India will take effect from August 6, reported Xinhua. Cambodia had banned travellers from India in April to curb the spread of the Delta variant of the novel Coronavirus. 

Image: AP