Omicron threat: 14-day quarantine mandatory for travellers arriving in Kerala from high-risk countries

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala government has revised its regulations for overseas travellers arriving in the state in view of the emerging threat of the new coronavirus variant, Omicron. All travellers arriving in Kerala from countries at risk of Omicron will have to undergo a mandatory quarantine of 14 days, state Health Minister Veena George announced on Monday. "They will have to undergo a test at the airport. All travellers will have to be in quarantine for seven days after arrival even if the test result comes out negative. On the eighth day, there will be another test. If the result is negative, travellers can be in-home quarantine for the next seven days. If the result is still positive, they will be shifted to the nearby treatment centres," the minister explained. The at-risk countries from where travellers would need to follow additional measures on arrival in India include European countries, the UK, South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel. This list has been updated as of November 26, 2021. No cases of the variant, which was first reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) from South Africa on November 24, have been so far recorded in India. On Sunday, the central government decided to step up precaution against the new coronavirus strain, Omicron. To deal with the situation, the state governments have been asked to take active containment and surveillance measures apart from ensuring better vaccination coverage.