Omicron: Singapore dropped from India's ‘at-risk’ nations list. Details here

The Union health ministry on Thursday dropped Singapore from the list of ‘at-risk’ countries, which means travellers from the Southeast Asian nation will no longer require to follow additional measures upon arrival in India. The central government has been frequently updating the list in the wake of the spread of the Omicron variant first detected in South Africa. The government has announced several measures to contain the spread of Omicron.

Travellers from countries 'at risk' have to compulsorily undergo RT-PCT testing post-arrival and have to home quarantine for seven days if the results are negative. They have to further take a re-test on the eighth day and monitor their health for the next seven days if the test results are negative again.

In case the passengers test positive for Covid-19, the samples will be sent for genome testing and the patients will be admitted to a separate isolation facility. They will be treated as per the standard Covid protocol and discharged at the discretion of the physician if the genomic testing is negative for the Omicron variant.

Here’s the list of ‘at-risk’ countries from where travellers would need to follow additional measures on arrival in India:

1. Countries in Europe including The United Kingdom

2. South Africa

3. Brazil

4. Botswana

5. China

6. Ghana

7. Mauritius

8. New Zealand

9. Zimbabwe

10. Tanzania

11. Hong Kong

12. Israel

India has so far reported 23 cases of Omicron variant, of which 17 cases were detected on Sunday after a cluster of nine Omicron infections emerged in Jaipur and seven in Maharashtra's Pune district.

On Thursday, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan reviewed the public health preparedness to the Omicron variant and progress of vaccination with health secretaries of states and Union territories via video conferencing. He urged states and UTs to enhance testing and focus on surveillance to ensure early identification of the suspected Omicron cases for their prompt isolation and further clinical management.