Omicron Variant: New rules issued for air passengers arriving from infected countries

India has stepped up checks amid concerns over new variant of COVID-19 which has trigged panic across the globe. In the latest development, people arriving in India by flights from countries where a new strain of coronavirus, 'Omicron', has been detected will need to follow certain entry rules.

Every international passenger coming to India has to fill a self-declaration form and show a negative RT-PCR test report. They can't enter India if any of these two conditions are not fulfilled.

Those arriving from high-risk" nations like South Africa have to give samples for RT-PCR testing after reaching India. Anyone found positive will be quarantined and the sample will be sent for genome sequencing - a method that checks the make-up of an organism.

If the person is infected with the 'Omicron' strain, stricter isolation rules would apply.

People from "at-risk" nations who test negative will, however, have to be in home quarantine for seven days. They will be tested again on Day 8. 

There will be random sampling of people for RT-PCR tests if they are arriving from nations considered not at risk. However, the samples of anyone found positive will be sent for genome sequencing and the person will be quarantined.

Those coming from countries considered not at risk and whose samples have tested negative have been advised to monitor themselves carefully for at least two weeks.

Till now no new case of the new Omicron variant of coronavirus has been detected in India, senior government officials said on Monday. They added that two clusters are under investigation - one in Maharashtra and another one in Karnataka. The variant emerged in southern Africa earlier this month and has been declared a variant of concern by the World Health Organization (WHO). It has so far spread to 15 countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged people to exercise caution in the wake of the new strain. He was addressing the media persons before the start of the winter session of Parliament.