India to drop pre-departure Covid-19 tests for travellers from S’pore, China, other countries

NEW DELHI - India will drop the

pre-departure Covid-19 test requirement

for travellers coming from or via China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Thailand and Japan from Monday, the health ministry said, as Covid-19 infections have fallen sharply globally.

The random testing of 2 per cent of all travellers landing in India will continue, the health ministry wrote in the letter dated Feb 9 to the civil aviation ministry.

Since Jan 1, travellers from the five countries were required to upload their Covid-19 test reports on the Indian government’s Air Suvidha portal prior to their departure. The tests were to be taken within 72 hours of travel to India.

The health ministry in December said the move was being done in view of “the evolving Covid-19 situation across the world, particularly in the aforesaid countries”. REUTERS