- India has extended its suspension on flights to and from the UK till January 7
- The Civil Aviation Minister mentioned that passengers who arrived from the UK on December 21 and 22, had to undergo COVID-19 testing at the airport
As per the concerned officials, the government may mandate RT-PCR tests on arrival for all passengers coming from the UK after January 7. On December 21, India suspended its aviation services to the UK, joining the bandwagon of other countries who have undertaken similar measures.
Taking to Twitter, Puri tweeted, “Decision has been taken to extend the temporary suspension of flights to & from the UK till 7 January 2021. Thereafter strictly regulated resumption will take place for which details will be announced shortly.”
At a press conference, Puri mentioned, “I foresee a slight extension of the temporary suspension. I don’t expect that extension to be a long or indefinite extension. In the next day or two, we will find out if any additional steps need to be taken, or when we can start easing the current temporary suspension.”
The minister further stated that passengers who arrived from the UK on December 21 and 22, had to undergo COVID-19 testing at the airport. Only those who tested negative were allowed to go home and were also instructed to quarantine themselves for at least a week. Anyone who tested positive was taken to institutional quarantine.
Moreover, the aviation ministry is also coordinating with the Ministry of Health and Department of pharmaceuticals, in an effort to create a cold chain for the COVID-19 vaccine transportation, Civil Aviation Secretary, Pradeep Kharola said.
Additionally, on Tuesday, the commercial pilots of Air India demanded details of the “distinct Phylogenetic cluster of SARS-Cov-2”. In a letter, the pilot association requested the management of the airlines to apprise all the pilots who tested positive for the new COVID-19 variant. As per health experts, the new strain of coronavirus, SARS-Cov 2, can be transmitted 70% faster than its predecessor strain.
