New COVID strain: India mandates RT-PCR tests for people arriving from 7 countries

India has mandated
RT-PCR COVID-19 tests for people coming to the country from seven countries,
including China and South Africa. The Indian government took the decision after
a new coronavirus variant — C.1.2 — was discovered in South Africa. The variant
could be more transmissible than the other coronavirus variant and may even evade
protection by vaccines, according to initial reports.

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Until now, India
required people coming in from the UK, Europe and the West Asia to undergo
mandatory RT-PCR COVID-19 tests. Now, seven more countries — South Africa,
Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe — have been added
to the list, in accordance with the latest guideline by India’s Ministry of
Health.

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The C.1.2.
coronavirus variant has so far been found in China, the Democratic Republic of
the Congo, Mauritius, England, New Zealand, Portugal and Switzerland. C.1.2.
evolved from C.1 lineage of the coronavirus that dominated infections in South
Africa in the middle of last year. There have been between 44 to 59 mutations
from the original coronavirus detected in Wuhan, China. 

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As per the health
ministry’s latest guideline, only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to
board flights to India and they will be required to undergo RT-PCR COVID-19
tests upon arrival.

The Ministry of
Health has also asked states to send a fixed percentage of samples of COVID
positive people among international travellers of genome surveillance.

Mumbai’s civic
body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), has mandated RT-PCR tests
for all international passengers from Friday, September 3. The new strain has
not been reported in India so far.

Meanwhile, with
India heading towards its festival season, the Union Health Ministry said that people
should “embrace vaccinations” and ensure COVID-appropriate behaviour. Mass
gatherings have been discouraged.