Chennai: Tamil Nadu has made home isolation and test out the 8th day mandatory for all international passengers, Minister of Health MA Subramanian said here on Saturday.
The Ministry of Health Public decided to tighten the supervision and monitoring of passengers after finding that many passengers from countries that were not “risky” for the omicron novel variant brought infection to the community.
All passengers traveled from “risky” countries – South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Ghana, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Hong Kong, Israel and all countries in Europe including the UK – will continue to be tested at the time arrival.
Those who are tested positively will be isolated in hospitals and those tested negatively will be mandated to remain in the quarantine of the house until they test negative on the 8th day of arrival.
“We will continue with this according to the central instruction.
In addition, we have made a companion quarantine for passengers from other countries too.
They have to test the eighth day to get out of quarantine,” he said.
Until Saturday, only 2% of passengers from countries were considered not at risk of being tested.
None of these passengers must wait for the results, but they are advised to monitor their health conditions for two weeks.
“They will be recalled for hospital insulation only if they test positively per central guide,” he said on Thursday, during a virtual meeting, the State Health Department once again insisted on the need for testing on the arrival and quarantine of mandatory homes for all international passengers.
Of the 57 patients who have a drop of s-gen, almost 37 of them are passengers or passenger contacts traveling from non-risky countries.
While 19 contacts of patients from other countries are tested positively, there are only two among people from risky countries, which in mandatory isolation.
“We did not hear feedback from the center.
But we have decided not to wait.
We will increase testing and monitoring,” Subramanhanian said.
The country will now test at least 10% of passengers from non-risk countries and insist on all passengers remain in quarantine until the test comes out on eighth day.
“Officials from health, police, local government and the income department will monitor the health status of this patient while they are in quarantine,” he said.
In addition, the country has asked all passengers traveling with domestic flights to declare the history of their journey.