Random Covid Testing for Passengers Arriving in Delhi by Air, Trains or Bus; Mandatory Quarantine

Passengers arriving at Delhi airport from states witnessing a surge in Covid-19 cases may be tested randomly and will be mandatorily quarantined for 10 days if found positive. The move is in line with a March 23 government order, which is likely to be implemented from Wednesday, according to airport sources.

The random testing will also be conducted at all railway stations, Inter-state Bus Terminals (ISBT) and other alighting points in the national capital next. After collection of samples, the travellers would be allowed to exit, but the passengers found positive will have to quarantine either at home or at a designated hospital for the 10 days, the order by the Delhi government’s disaster management authority reads.

The Delhi Airport tweeted an advisory about the random testing.

Covid-19 cases in Delhi have surged over the last couple of weeks as India now finds itself firmly in the grip of a second wave. The health ministry listed the capital among 10 districts with the most active cases.

On Sunday, the city had recorded 1,881 new cases, the highest since December 15. The number of new cases have dropped below 1,000 in the last couple of days due to a dip in testing levels because of Holi. The city’s overall tally stands at 6,60,611 after 995 new infections were recorded on Tuesday.

Delhi has also witnessed a rise in the number of fatalities due to Covid-19, a direct result of the surge in daily cases. While the city had reported 58 deaths in February, a total of 100 people have died so far this month.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority, in its order, said the situation of COVID-19 in Delhi has been reviewed and it has been observed that there has been a “perceptible increase in COVID-19 cases and positivity rate reported from some states”. It said the random testing will be conducted on arriving passengers from states where COVID-19 cases are surging, but did not list any states.

According to the health ministry data, eight states – Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh – have reported a surge in the daily new cases. These states account for 84.73% of the 53,480 new cases reported countrywide on Tuesday.

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