From May 22, QR code on RT-PCR report must for those flying out of India

People who want to travel out of India will be required to carry a negative RT-PCR test report with a QR code from May 22, the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation announced last week.

In the guidelines issued last week, the ministry advised airlines operators to accept only those passengers who are carrying a negative RT-PCR test report with a QR code for boarding international flights departing from India from May 22. 

Also read: WHO affirms COVID vaccine efficacy against variants, warns against overseas travel

Many laboratories testing samples for COVID-19 have now started providing QR codes on RT-PCR test reports after some people edited their reports to show a negative result at the airport.

Meanwhile, the international commercial passenger flights remain suspended till May 31 in view of the second wave of coronavirus in India.

Also read: 50,000 tourism experts gather to chart post-COVID recovery

Several countries, including the United States, Britain, Singapore, Australia, Canada and the United Arab Emirates, have banned their flights from India to curb the spread of the deadly disease.

India recorded 257,299 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. The nation’s tally of COVID-19 cases now stands at 26,289,290. On Friday, 4,194 people died from COVID-19 across the country, taking the death toll to 295,525.