Quarantine norms for international passengers arriving in Hyd relaxed

Hyderabad: The Telangana government, on Saturday, relaxed quarantine norms for passengers arriving from foreign countries by Vande Bharat or Air Transport Bubble flights. The asymptomatic international passengers flying to Hyderabad can now head to their homes if they fulfil the criteria laid down by the state government.

As per the latest guidelines by the state government, the passengers on business trips to Telangana with return tickets within 4 days of their arrival will not be quarantined at all if they show their negative RT-PCR test report conducted within 96 hours prior to departures.

For any asymptomatic passengers travelling with negative RT-PCR test report conducted within 96 hours prior to departures will be exempted from institutional quarantine and will undergo 14 days of home quarantine.

Special consideration of 14 days of home quarantine has been mandated for some categories of asymptomatic passengers without negative RT-PCR test report. These include expectant ladies, parents travelling with children 10 years or below or those travelling on medical emergencies.

However, the rest of the asymptomatic passengers without negative RT-PCR test results will have to undergo 7 days

each of institutional quarantine followed by home quarantine.

Currently, Hyderabad International Airport is connected with the UK and UAE under Air Bubble agreements. British Airways has resumed its operations between Hyderabad and London four times a week.

“Other airlines operating between Hyderabad and UAE - Etihad, Emirates and Flydubai are likely to resume their operations shortly,” said an airport official.

Apart from that, the airport is handling charter flights under Vande Bharat Mission, which includes Air India flights and other foreign airliners as per the regulatory norms. From the time of lockdown till date, over 55,000 Indian citizens stranded at various foreign lands have arrived in the city and over 10,000 people of various nationalities have departed to various countries from Hyderabad.