RTPCR tests at Visakhapatnam Airport being strictly conducted

RTPCR (Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) tests at Visakhapatnam International Airport are being conducted, covering 2% of the arriving passengers. International passengers are being tested if they do not have an RTPCR negative report valid 72 hours prior to their arrival. Apart from these, passengers with symptoms of cough and cold are being tested at the airport and passengers travelling to other destinations must carry their RTPCR negative report. These RTPCR tests at Visakhapatnam International Airport are being conducted in order to stabilize the rise in COVID-19 cases and monitor the situation.

The Scoot Airlines flight from Visakhapatnam to Singapore, which started recently, is having very low occupancy as only Singapore Permanent Residents, and Indians working there, are being allowed to travel. Transit passengers and tourists are not allowed to fly. This is mainly due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. The Scoot Airlines flight, from Visakhapatnam to Singapore has been started recently as part of the Air Transport Bubble Agreement.  This is an agreement that was made between the Indian Government and almost thirty-five countries to start commercial flights. Some of the other countries are Afghanistan, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Canada, Ethiopia, Finland, France, and Germany

If any international passenger is tested positive on arrival, they will be admitted into an isolation ward. Their test sample will be sent for genomic testing. If the international passenger is tested negative, they should undergo a mandatory home quarantine for seven days and on the eighth day, a re-test must be conducted. After which self- health monitoring, for the subsequent week, is mandatory. Apart from the RTPCR tests, thermal scanning measures, mobile numbers, and local addresses of the arriving passengers are being collected at the airport.

Since March 2020, many International flights have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A few international flights have  operated from Vizag airport, under the Vande Bharat Mission (VBM), during the first wave. Later these flights have been diverted to the Vijayawada International Airport in Gannavaram.