Long queues at Delhi airport as checks to keep Omicron at bay kick in

As a part of the new set of rules to prevent the spread of the new variant, passengers flying into the country from 12 Omicron-hit regions -- including all of Europe -- will now have to undergo a mandatory RT-PCR test on their arrival at the Delhi airport, and, if negative, undergo a week’s home quarantine.

Passengers witnessed long queues and lengthy waiting times at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Wednesday as new international travel guidelines to keep at bay the Omicron variant of the coronavirus kicked in for those arriving from “at-risk” countries.

Some passengers said there was a long wait to get the mandatory on-arrival Covid-19 test results, while some complained that a few officials seemed unclear about the new guidelines. (HT Photo)

As a part of the new set of rules to prevent the spread of the new variant, passengers flying into the country from 12 Omicron-hit regions -- including all of Europe -- will now have to undergo a mandatory RT-PCR test on their arrival at the Delhi airport, and, if negative, undergo a week’s home quarantine. If a person tests positive, they will be taken to a hospital for treatment and further tests.

According to an updated list, the countries designated as “at-risk” are European countries, the UK, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel.

Prachi (single name only), arriving from London, said she was travelling with her three-year-old child. “There were a few people without masks on the flight. However, the testing process at the airport was smoother than I expected. I opted for the rapid PCR test. It cost me around ₹4,000 but provided us with reports in less than an hour,” she said.

Karan (only first name), a passenger from Frankfurt, said, “I had planned my trip to Delhi long back. I obviously did not foresee something like this happening. I expected the situation at the airport to be better, but it just so happened that the rules were to kick in from today. There were many people in queues. I even saw a few people arguing with the authorities, but none of that could expedite the process. I left the airport five hours after landing.”

Some passengers said there was a long wait to get the mandatory on-arrival Covid-19 test results, while some complained that a few officials seemed unclear about the new guidelines. However, an airport official, who did not want to be named, said the process was smoother than they expected it to be given the volumes.

“Of the 1,013 passengers who arrived until Wednesday evening, 792 opted for the rapid PCR test and 221 opted for the RT-PCR test. The results for the former were given in less than 90 minutes, while those of the latter took about four to six hours,” an airport official said.

“A few Indian nationals tried to create a ruckus because they had no clarity on how long would they have to wait, but our teams managed such situations well and made everyone understand that everything was happening according to government guidelines and we were making efforts to prevent a possible spread of the new Covid-19 variant,” said the official.

“Provisions were made to provide incoming travellers with sufficient seating, vending machines and also currency exchange centres,” the official said.

A passenger has to pay ₹500 for the RT-PCR test and ₹3,900 for the rapid PCR test. The passenger will not be allowed to leave the airport premises before their report comes in.

“There is no choice, even if the passenger has a connecting flight,” said the official.

On Wednesday, four passengers from the Netherlands and the UK tested positive for Covid-19. Officials sent their samples for genome sequencing. All of them were Indian nationals and had flown in during the early hours of Wednesday.

An official said that after testing positive, they were all admitted to Lok Nayak Hospital, where a dedicated ward has been set up for isolating and treating international travellers. “Four flights originating from Amsterdam and London and carrying 1,013 passengers landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport between 12am and 6am. Of these passengers, four tested positive,” the official said.

Dr Gauri Agarwal, founder and director of Genestrings Diagnostics, the lab conducting tests at IGI Airport, said, “We have been testing passengers with utmost precaution while complying with the government regulations. The samples of the four travellers from London and Amsterdam, who landed at the airport early Wednesday, have been sent to the NCDC (National Centre For Disease Control) for genome sequencing. Five passengers have tested positive in two days and we are running approximately 2,000+ tests at the airport every day. Genestrings is ensuring utmost care in handling the samples to stop the spread of the new Omicron variant.”