Omicron Variant of COVID: High Risk Countries List Released by India

Revised guidelines for international arrivals: In view of a new covid variant Omicron, the Health Ministry of India has issued revised guidelines for international arrivals in India. The latest guidelines for people coming to India have come into effect from December 1, 2021. The Government has released the list of countries from where the travellers will be required to follow additional measures on their arrival in India. The guidelines for the international arrivals, as revised by the government, includes mandatory submission of 14 days travels details, uploading negative RT-PCR test report before the journey, and COVID-19 test post arrival, among others.

Read More: Check Guidelines for international arrivals in India

Omicron variant was first detected in South Africa which has now become a potential threat reported by various countries around the world. WHO has categorized the new covid variant as ‘Variant of Concern’ and many countries have also started imposing travel bans on the travellers arriving from South Africa and the neighbouring nations.

Even though India has not reported even a single case of Omicron variant, seeing the rapid infection in South Africa and other neighbouring countries, the variant can affect India’s recovery from the deadly second wave of the pandemic.

Omicron variant: High Risk Countries List Released by India

List of countries from where the travellers will have to follow additional measures on their arrival in India. It will include post-arrival testing as well. The countries are:

Countries in Europe including the United Kingdom

South Africa

Brazil

Botswana

China

Mauritius

New Zealand

Zimbabwe

Singapore

Hong Kong

Israel

Omicron covid variant: Scheduled international flights unlikely to resume from December 15

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has said that because of the ongoing global scenario with the emergence of the new variant of concern, the appropriate decision regarding the resumption of international flights will be taken soon.

It has become highly unlikely that the scheduled international flights will resume from December 15, 2021. The flights in question will be most particularly from the high-risk countries.

Omicron Variant of covid: WHO warns against new covid variant

The World Health Organisation, in the latest, warned against the new Covid-19 variant Omicron by saying that the risk related to the new variant is extremely high. The global health body emphasized that the very emergency of Omicron is another reminder where many of us think that COVID-19 is over.

Omicron variant has become a cause of concern because of its high transmissibility as well as the risk of evading effects of the vaccine.