As Omicron rises to being a major global threat, the Government of India has decided to implement pre-booking of RT-PCR tests at 6 Indian airports for those traveling from ‘at risk’ countries. The compulsory pre-booking of RT-PCR tests will begin from Monday, 20 December 2021. Six big airports, including Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai and Mumbai, will now require mandatory pre-booking. People traveling from ‘at-risk’ countries or those who have visited them in the past two weeks will have to pre-book their Covid tests. 

The rule was implemented after the ministry of civil aviation issued instructions for the same. ‘Air Suvidha’, a website portal by the Ministry for Civil Aviation for international passengers at Delhi airport, will now be able to accommodate passengers traveling from ‘at-risk’ countries.

Also Read: No new normal: Five regions that have reported zero COVID cases

The ministry has said that this mandate is the first step of protocol, and once the system strengthens and provides smooth access to passengers, the rule could also be implemented to other airports as well.

RT-PCR, which stands for Reverse Transcription–Polymerase Chain Reaction, is one of the most reliable lab tests to detect the presence of the coronavirus. Since the pandemic, airports have been extra cautious and have tested thousands of samples per day.  The test results usually take from one to eight hours.

Also Read: Kamala Harris, Anthony Fauci disagree on US’ anticipation of COVID variants

 To pre-book their RT-PCR test, passengers can choose slots online by visiting the official websites of the international airport they’re traveling to. On the website’s top panel, click on ‘Book Covid-19 Test’. Then, pick your travel type (international, in this case). Fill your details such as name, phone number, address, time slot, etc. Next, pick your travel type (in this case, international arrival). Then, choose the type of test (RT-PCR in this case, although rapid testing is also available). Finally, follow the instructions on screen and book a suitable slot.

The RT-PCR test costs Rs.500 and the report will take around 6-8 hours. In the case of a rapid PCR test, the cost is Rs. 3,500 and test results will be available within 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. Passengers will also have the option to cancel or reschedule their booking.