7-day home quarantine for COVID-19 -ve travellers in Andaman & Nicobar

Port Blair: In view of a spurt of coronavirus cases in Andaman and Nicobar islands, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Friday mandated all passengers arriving at the Port Blair airport to undergo seven days home quarantine if they test negative for the viral infection. In case a person tests positive for COVID-19, they will mandatorily have to undergo institutional isolation until tested otherwise.

Rapid antigen testing kits have been made available at the island destination at the cost of Rs 500 per test.

“Rapid antigen testing, now available at Veer Savarkar Airport, Portblair, Andaman & Nicobar. Special provisions made- RT-PCR test counter for pax travelling to Andaman, Nicobar & Rangat passengers. Ayush hospital’s staff to provide immunity meds,” the airport authority said.

“Passengers with negative test results will have to undergo 7 days home quarantine while those with positive results will have to undergo institutional quarantine. Symptomatic & those travelling to tribal areas continue to be tested through a free RT PCR,” it added.

The development comes a day after the viral disease reached the dwindling Great Andamanese tribe. At least 10 from the tribe had been infected and six of them already recovered from the infection.

The infected people are undergoing treatment at a hospital in Port Blair and once they complete 10 days without symptoms, they will be sent back to their island and there they will remain under home quarantine.

As many as 33 new cases emerged in the past 24 hours taking the COVID-19 tally of the Union Territory to 3,018, while 42 fatalities were recorded after another person died today.

The number of active cases in the archipelago currently stands at 602, while the total number of recoveries rose to 2,374 as 65 more people were cured of the disease.

A total of 78,900 tests per million have been conducted in the islands so far.