Cochin airport tightens rules, intensifies testing amid Omicron threat

Kochi: The Cochin International airport initiated procedures to adopt the guidelines issued by the central government over new Covid testing methods in view of the Omicron variant. A meeting presided by the CIAL managing director S Suhas IAS with several agencies and departments analysed the situation. 

CIAL has been operating direct flights from Singapore and the UK which are listed among the high-risk countries by the central government. 

The airport authority has been conducting compulsory RT-PCR tests for the passengers who are arriving directly or through other airports from high-risk countries. Along with this, random testing is being conducted for 5 per cent of travellers who reach here from other countries. CIAL has constituted facilities to test 350 persons at a time. It was also decided to give away the results of the test as soon as possible. 

Even though the test result comes negative, the passengers have to undergo home quarantine. Those who test positive will be shifted to special health centres. Their samples will be sent for genome tests to detect the Covid variant. Later, the procedures advised in the guidelines of the central government will be followed. 

Those who obtained a negative result in the test administered at the airport should undergo an RT-PCR test on the eighth day of home quarantine. They should continue home quarantine if they test positive and in case of a negative result, shall continue self-observation.