Covid alarm: Air Suvidha forms must for passengers coming from these countries

India has already started random testing 2% of international passengers arriving at its airports for COVID-19 as the country steps up surveillance for new virus variants.

India has put fliers from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand on its watch list. Air Suvidha form filling to declare current health status will be made compulsory for international passengers arriving from these countries as per the Centre's protocol.

India has already started random testing 2 percent of international passengers arriving at its airports for COVID-19 as the country steps up surveillance for new virus variants.

The steps come amid a series of high-level meetings following a spike in cases seen in other parts of the world, although experts and officials have reportedly said India has little to worry because of its high baseline immunity.

India has ruled out any flights restrictions for now. “There are no direct flights from China to India and we are taking all possible precautions that we have learnt in the past two years to manage the spread of infection in the country. We are already randomly testing 2 percent samples for Covid from international passengers on arrival, and if required, in the future, we can increase it further and can also make it mandatory for all arriving passengers to get tested,” health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in Rajya Sabha.