India allows foreign tourists as Covid cases decline
Darpan News Desk IANS, 15 Nov, 2021 12:02 PM
New Delhi, Nov 15 (IANS) India on Monday decided to reopen the entry of all foreign tourists following a sharp and sustained decline in Covid-19 cases.
According to the officials, now the foreign travelers will be allowed to visit India without a mandatory quarantine. The government's move came 20 months after the pandemic situation improved in the country.
India has now allowed entry to fully inoculated tourists from 99 countries including the UK, USA, Israel, Brazil, Canada, Greece, Kuwait, Colombia, Russia and Germany, who have already recognized the Indian vaccination certificates or WHO-recognised vaccinated Indian travelers in their countries.
The government only requires that such tourists monitor their health for 14 days after their arrival in India.
In case of a foreigner who has taken only one shot, will have to go for RT-PCR test at the airports or any entry points in India and will have to go for seven days self home quarantine stay in case of a positive report and on the 8th day, the RT-PCR test will be done again and then they can walk free in the country.
In case a person is found positive in the second RT-PCR test, he will have to stay in home quarantine for another eight days.
Earlier, the Indian authorities had allowed foreign tourists through chartered flights and they had to go for 14 days home mandatory quarantine but now that restrictions have been eased off.
In March 2020 the government suspended visas of all foreign nationals as the Covid-19 pandemic was on a steep hike. In December 2020, the government launched an 'air bubble' or 'air corridor' scheme with 19 countries such as USA, UK, France, Germany, Canada, the Maldives, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Nigeria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Japan so that the stranded passengers in India can leave to their countries and the Indians who were stuck in these countries might return to India.
The Indian authorities allowed the Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and OCI (Overseas Citizens of India) cardholders to visit here.
A total of 40.8 per cent people have shown satisfaction with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the five states going to the polls next year, while 41.3 per cent showed dissatisfaction with him, as per the ABP-CVOTER-IANS BATTLE FOR THE STATES - WAVE 1.
According to the ABP-CVOTER-IANS BATTLE FOR THE STATES - WAVE 1, the goodwill of the Union government remains the same except in Punjab, which is up against the Centre over the three farm laws.
The survey found that overall, 13.3 per cent said the 'country is moving forward but not my life', 29.3 per cent said the 'country is moving forward and my life too', while 5 per cent said that 'life is improving but the country is in poor state'.
A day earlier, Customs officials had recovered 495 grams of gold valued at Rs 24.14 lakh from a passenger on his arrival from Dubai. The gold was concealed in various items like a blender, facial cream box, and sandals. A case for smuggling of gold was registered. Further investigation is in progress, an official said.
The survey, conducted in the five poll-bound states of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, revealed that about 51 per cent respondents in Punjab are not satisfied at all with work of the MLA of their respective areas.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took to Twitter regarding the spike in price of gas "The BJP government is increasing the price of LPG gas every month. The prices of petrol and diesel have been increased by 60-70 times in 3-4 months, but the price of sugarcane has not been increased in the past three years."
