Mandatory COVID-19 test at Chandigarh airport for all travellers bound for Punjab

With the Centre resuming domestic flight services from May 25, the Mohali district administration said on Sunday that all air travellers bound for Punjab shall be tested for COVID-19 upon their arrival at the Chandigarh airport and then mandatorily stay quarantined in home for 14 days.

It, however, clarified that COVID-19 tests shall be done only on passengers whose destination is Punjab.

Those moving through the airport on way to Union Territory of Chandigarh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh shall be dealt with as per the protocol of the recipient state, the district administration said.

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"In the wake of directions of Ministry of Home Affairs to resume air travel from May 25, Deputy Commissioner Girish Dayalan has issued orders that all passengers belonging to Punjab shall be tested for COVID-19 at the airport," a government release stated.

All such persons shall be required to undergo mandatory home quarantine for 14 days from the date of arrival. In case, the test comes out to be positive, the person shall be shifted to an isolation facility, it said.

If the test is negative, the person shall still be required to undergo home quarantine for 14 days, the order stated.

This is being done in line with the directions of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which specifically mentions that "states can develop their own protocol with regard to quarantine and isolation as per their assessment".