Centre releases guidelines for domestic travel
May 24, 2020
New Delhi [India], May 24 : The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday released a set of guidelines for domestic travel via air, train or inter-state bus travel.
The Ministry said dos and don'ts shall be provided along with tickets to the travellers by the agencies concerned.
All passengers shall be advised to download the Arogya Setu app on their mobile devices.
"Suitable announcement about COVID-19 including precautionary measures to be followed shall be made at airports/railway stations/bus terminals and in flights/trains/bus," the guidelines said.
In addition to this, the Ministry has asked the states/UTs to ensure that all passengers undergo thermal screening at the point of departure and only asymptomatic passengers are allowed to board the flight/train/bus.
During boarding and travel, all passengers shall use face covers/mask. They will also follow hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene and maintain environmental hygiene.
At airports/railway stations/ bus terminals required measures to ensure social distancing and regular sanitisation/disinfection shall be undertaken. Availability of soaps and sanitisers shall be ensured.
Thermal screening at exit point shall be arranged.
"Asymptomatic passengers will be permitted to go with the advice that they shall self-monitor their health for 14 days. In case, they develop any symptoms, they shall inform the district surveillance officer or the state/national call centre (1075)," it added.
According to the guidelines, those found symptomatic will be isolated and taken to the nearest health facility. They will be assessed for clinical severity at the health facility while those having moderate or severe symptoms will be admitted to dedicated COVID health facilities and managed accordingly.
At the same time, those having mild symptoms will be given the option of home isolation or isolated in the COVID Care Centre (both public and private facilities) as appropriate and tested as per ICMR protocol available at https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/Revisedtestingguidelines.pdf.
And if those with mild symptoms test positive, they will continue in COVID Care Centre and will be managed as per clinical protocol.
If negative, the passenger may be allowed to go home, isolate himself/herself and self-monitor his/her health for a further 7 days. In case, any symptoms develop they shall inform the district surveillance officer or the state/national call centre (1075).
