As Flights Resume, What Are Quarantine Rules for Different States?

Taking a domestic flight within India? Here’s all you need to know about quarantine rules in different states.

Domestic flight operations resumed in India after remaining suspended for nearly two months, as part of a nationwide lockdown, imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus. While air travel, as we know it, is not going to be the same henceforth, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had stressed that short-haul passengers need not be quarantined.

However, states seem to be in disagreement with the Centre over this as several of them have released SOPs for quarantine of passengers arriving by domestic flights.

Here’s all you need to know about the different rules in different state over quarantining domestic passengers.

UTTAR PRADESH

• Travellers to Uttar Pradesh will have to undergo mandatory 14-day home quarantine, unless they are staying for less than one week.
• On the 6th day from the date of arrival, passengers can get tested for COVID-19 and end their quarantine if results are negative.
• Those who are visiting for less than a week can furnish details of their return journey and need not go into quarantine.

TAMIL NADU

• Mandatory 14-day quarantine for all passengers.
• Asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic passengers will be home quarantined.
• Moderately and severely-affected people will be hospitalised.
• All passengers will be stamped with indelible ink for quarantine.
• They will not be allowed to leave the airport premises without such a stamp.

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DELHI, MAHARASHTRA

• The Delhi government has said that it will not impose quarantine on asymptomatic passengers.
• Meanwhile, Maharashtra – which has the highest number of cases – has allowed Mumbai airport to handle 50 domestic flights per day. The state government is yet to provide SOP for incoming passengers.

PUNJAB, WEST BENGAL, KERALA

• In Punjab and West Bengal, all incoming passengers will be put in home quarantine for 14 days. Those who eventuallu test positive will be shifted to isolation centres.
• However, flights will resume in West Bengal only after 28, due to the destruction caused by Cyclone Amphan.
• In Kerala, all flyers will be put into 14 days’ home quarantine. However, there are certain exceptions for those who are travelling on short business trips.

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KARNATAKA

• In Karnataka, passengers arriving from states where there is 'high prevalance' of coronavirus, will be kept in institutional quarantine for seven days.
• They will then be tested for coronavirus. If they test negative, they will be in home quarantine for the next seven days.
• Karnataka has listed Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh as states with ‘high prevalence’ of Coronavirus.
• Passengers from other states will undergo home quarantine for 14 days.

JAMMU AND KASHMIR, CHHATTISGARH, BIHAR

• In Jammu and Kashmir, all passengers will be put in "administrative auarantine" for 14 days.
• The Chhattisgarh government, on the other hand, said that those showing no symptoms will be placed for 14-day quarantine in both government centres or in their homes.
• In Bihar, passengers will have to undergo 14-day "paid quarantine."