Delhi airport sets up COVID-19 testing facility for international transit passengers
Sep 12, 2020
By Ashoke Raj
New Delhi [India], September 12 : Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), on Saturday, launched the COVID-19 testing facility for international transit passengers at the Indira Gandhi International Airport Terminal 3 in collaboration with Genestrings lab.
Commenting on the development, Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, CEO-DIAL, said: "Delhi Airport continues to be a hub for international travellers even during the pandemic. The pilot initiative has been taken to ensure testing of all arriving international transfer passengers scheduled to board a domestic connecting flight post-arrival in Delhi Airport."
The result of the COVID-19 test would come in six hours and those who test negative would proceed further to their destinations while those testing positive would be treated as per government protocol.
"The COVID-19 testing laboratory at Delhi Airport has been adequately equipped for testing and sample collection that will be conducted in compliance with the protocols established by the ICMR and NABL," he added.
As per the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) guidelines, passengers arriving from international destinations having RT-PCR negative certificates would be exempted from institutional quarantine granted by the state authorities and will be allowed for onward air journey.
This exemption will be on the basis of a negative RT-PCR test report, for which the test was conducted within 96 hours before undertaking the journey.
During an interaction with ANI, a transit passenger, Ravi Shankar Kumar who arrived from Dubai and was bound for Patna said, "I have undergone a COVID-19 test at the airport and my result is negative and now I'm going to take my flight to Patna. I have paid Rs 5,000 including test and airport lounge facility."
Another passenger Ali Khan, who arrived from Europe and wants to go Dwarka in Delhi said, "I have been advised by airport officials to get a test for COVID-19 done at the airport if I don't want to undergo quarantine. I'm waiting for my COVID-19 result."
For the COVID-19 test, the total charge is Rs 5,000 of which Rs 2,400 on for COVID-19 tests and Rs 2600 is for airport lounge and meals.
International flight resumption is yet to start but flights from some European and Gulf countries and the US are operational under air bubble agreements.
