COVID-19: Health Ministry calls for strict screening at airports amid Omicron concerns

In a fresh advisory, in order to curb the prospects of the COVID-19 outbreak from the new variant ‘Omnicron’ originated in South Africa, India on Saturday announced that it will conduct rigorous screening and testing of all international travellers coming from or transiting through South Africa, Hong Kong and Botswana. India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Nov. 26 added several nations on the list that now requires additional health safety measures including the COVID-19 diagnosis post-arrival. Among the countries added to the additional measures, list is the UK, Israel, China, South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh Botswana, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the European countries. 

Earlier Health Secretary of India Rajesh Bhushan, in a letter to health secretaries of all states and Union Territories, said: "lt has now been reported by National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) that multiple cases of a COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529 (named as Omicron) have been reported in Botswana (3 cases), South Africa (6 cases) and Hong Kong (1 case).”

Conduct 'rigorous screening and testing' says Health Ministry 

Health secretary Bhushan asked the states and UTs to conduct 'rigorous screening and testing' of passengers travelling from mentioned regions. It is necessary that all international travellers travelling from and transiting through these countries and also including all other 'at risk' countries are subjected to rigorous screening and testing. The contacts of these international travellers must also be closely tracked and tested," Secretary Bhushan said in his letter to states and UTs. 

"This variant is reported to have a significantly high number of mutations and thus has serious public health implications for the country, in view of recently relaxed visa restrictions and opening up of international travel," meanwhile the centre warned. Like India, several other countries including UK, and Switzerland also announced the suspension of travel from southern Africa to suppress the outbreak of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, Russian news agency Sputnik reported. UK suspended flights from South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini. United States, Canada, Philippines, Spain, Israel, Austria, Morocco have imposed travel restrictions from South Africa.