The Government of India has put in place new arrival guidelines to screen passengers from various countries and keep the new Omicron variant at bay from spreading through the country. However, states can work on implementing a much stricter version if they so deem necessary. In this respect, Maharashtra had put in place very tough requirements for those arriving at the Mumbai CSMIA airport. These have now been scrapped, and new guidelines issued, with comparatively lenient requirements.

Arrivals at Mumbai International from 3 High-Risk countries will be institutionally quarantined for seven days

As per a new circular with guidelines for arrival at Mumbai International Airport for international flights, the state has decided that for arrivals from high-risk countries only, will be subject to institutional quarantine. Also, high-risk passengers will include those who have been to these countries in the past 15 days.

High-Risk Air Passengers may be deplaned on priority and separate counters will be arranged by respective airport management authorities at all international airports of the State of Maharashtra for their screening and verification. Such all “High-Risk Air Passengers” shall have to undergo RT-PCR Test immediately on arrival at respective international airport and shall undergo mandatory 7-day “Institutional Quarantine” with second RT-PCR Test to be carried out on the 7th day. If any of the RT-PCR Test is found to be positive, then such a “High-Risk Air Passenger” shall be shifted to a Hospital with Covid Treatment facilities. In case the result of the RT-PCR Test of the 7th day comes negative, such “High-Risk Air Passenger” will have to undergo a further 7 days of Home Quarantine.

For reference, here are the high-risk countries as of November 30, 2021:

1. South Africa
2. Botswana
3. Zimbabwe

Institutional Quarantines can be done at a hotel (self-paid) or at a government mandate institutional quarantine facility (free of cost).

Arrivals at Mumbai International from 27+ At-Risk countries will be home quarantined for seven days

Passengers from other countries in the at-risk countries will still have to undergo a compulsory on-arrival RT-PCR test. This can be a Rapid PCR or a regular RT-PCR test as described by us earlier, and they will have to undergo a 7-day home quarantine and re-test on day 8.

For reference, here are the rest of the at-risk countries as of November 30, 2021:

1. Countries in Europe, including The United Kingdom
2. Brazil
3. China
4. Mauritius
5. New Zealand
6. Singapore
7. Hong Kong
8. Israel

Update: Tanzania and Ghana were added to the list of at-risk countries on December 6, 2021.

Here is how the home quarantine will work, in brief:

• Mumbai Airport will be sending over a daily list of international arrivals from S.Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe (High-Risk Countries) and all the At-Risk Countries mentioned above (including Europe and Singapore). This list will only be of passengers who will be based in Mumbai on arrival from outside the country.
• Mumbai, which has an excellent network of on-ground war-rooms that monitor Covid-19 cases on a wardwise basis, will take over the monitoring of the home quarantine as well. They will check in on the passengers five times a day on the phone to monitor their health. quarantine.
• The housing societies (where these home quarantine cases stay) will be notified about the home quarantine of these people, and they will physically monitor the home quarantine and have to ensure no visitors are allowed at these households.
• Medical teams will also regularly visit these homes to ensure compliance with home quarantine protocols. They will also ensure Day 7 RT-PCR tests are conducted.
• Any passenger violating the home quarantine protocol shall be shifted to mandatory institutional quarantine and liable for prosecution.

Here are the full rules for your reference.

Bottomline

Only if you arrive from South African nations essentially, you will now be compulsorily subject to a 7-day long institutional quarantine in Mumbai and repeated tested after arrival. After seven days of institutional quarantine, you will need to be under home quarantine for another seven days. For everyone else travelling from Europe, Singapore, Hong Kong etc, they will only need to test on arrival and stay under home quarantine for 7 days, which will be frequently monitored by the Government of Maharashtra. For countries not on the list of the centre or the state, they can exit and go on about their life.

What do you make of the new home quarantine requirements for arrivals at Mumbai Airport? 

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