As nations around the globe are on high alert following the emergence of a new strain of the coronavirus with higher transmission rates in the UK, the Centre has on Tuesday released a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for passengers arriving from the country. The SOP applies to all international passengers who have "travelled from or transited through the UK" in the past four weeks, ie, from November 25 to December 23.
The SOP states that all passengers in the abovementioned category will be contacted by district surveillance officers.
Here are they key highlights of the SOP:
1. All the contacts (without any exception) of those travelers who arrived at various airports on December 21-23, 2020 and tested positive would be subjected to institutional quarantine in separate quarantine centres and would be tested as per ICMR guidelines (or earlier if the passenger develops any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19). Contacts of the suspect case are the co-passengers seated in the same row, three rows in front and three rows behind along with identified cabin crew.
2. The list of travelers (travelling between December 21-23) who are found RT-PCR negative at airport testing shall be shared with the respective states by the Central unit of /Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP). They shall be advised for quarantine at home and tested as per ICMR guidelines (or earlier if the passenger develops any symptoms suggestive of COVID19). Their monitoring would be ensured by respective state governments/IDSP.
3. Those international travelers from the UK who arrived in India from November 25 to December 8, 2020 will be contacted by district surveillance officers and advised to self-monitor their health. If anyone amongst them develops symptoms, they will be tested by RT-PCR.
If tested positive, genetic sequencing will be done. If the report of the sequencing is consistent with the current SARS-CoV-2 virus genome circulating in the country, the ongoing treatment protocol, including home isolation/treatment at facility level as per case severity may be followed.
If the genomic sequencing indicates the presence of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2, then the patient will continue to remain in a separate isolation unit. While necessary treatment as per the existing protocol will be given, the patient shall be tested on the 14th day, after having tested positive in the initial test. In case the sample is found positive on the 14th day, further samples may be taken until the two consecutive samples taken 24 hours apart are tested negative.
4. The list of international travelers who arrived in India, between December 9 and December 23 will be shared with respective state/district surveillance officers for daily follow up till 14 days after their arrival in India.
5. Passenger will be provided following advice during first visit/contact by health care provider:
a. You will also receive daily calls/visits from state health officials to ask your health status for the day.
b. You are requested to self-monitor for development of symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, i.e., fever, cough, difficulty in breathing for 28 days from the date of arrival from the UK.
c. In case you develop symptoms, put on a mask immediately, isolate yourself at home, and inform the district surveillance officer or contact national (1075) or state helpline.
6. District surveillance officer has to ensure daily follow up of passengers under observation for 28 days starting from date of arrival.
7. For all travellers who have arrived between December 9 and December 23, district surveillance officers shall facilitate testing (irrespective of previous testing at the place of origin or at the airport of arrival) with RT-PCR.
In case the passengers have moved to locations outside the city of arrival, intimation should be sent to the concerned district/state for needful.
8. All the community contacts (without any exception) of those travelers who have tested positive would be subjected to institutional quarantine in separate quarantine centres and would be tested between fifth and 10th day as per current ICMR guidelines using RT-PCR.
9. Information regarding any passenger covered within the scope of this SOP, who travels to another state will be immediately notified to the concerned state health authority. If any passenger is not traceable initially or during any duration while being followed up, should be immediately notified to the Central Surveillance Unit of IDSP by the district surveillance officer.
Actions to be taken at international airports
1. All international travelers as described in the scope above will be required to declare as per existing procedure, their travel history (of past 14 days) and fill up the self declaration form to be screened for COVID-19.
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2. The flights from the UK stand suspended temporarily from December 23 till December 31, 2020 or till further orders. All the passengers coming from the UK during the intervening period from December 21-23, 2020 shall be subjected to the stringent procedures mentioned above.
Respective state governments should ensure that all passengers travelling from or transiting through airports in the UK and disembarking in India would be subjected to RT-PCR test on arrival. In case of a positive sample, it is recommended that spike gene-based RT-PCR test should also be performed by an appropriate laboratory.
Those who are found negative on testing with RT-PCR at the airport would be advised quarantine at home and followed up.
Airlines should ensure that prior to check-in, each passenger is explained about the SOP. In-flight announcements must also be made explaining the relevant information to the passengers and should be prominently displayed in the arrival area and the waiting area of the airports.
