India drops Covid test requirement
Mandatory PCR tests for people coming from Thailand believed to have reduced Indian tourist numbers
published : 10 Feb 2023 at 13:45
writer: Reuters and Online Reporters
NEW DELHI: India will drop the pre-departure Covid test requirement for travellers coming from or via Thailand, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand and Japan from Monday, the health ministry said, as Covid-19 infections have fallen sharply globally.
The random testing of 2% of all travellers landing in India will continue, the health ministry wrote in the letter dated Feb 9 to the the civil aviation ministry.
Delhi introduced the requirement on Jan 1 after China abandoned its zero-Covid policy and infections began to surge in that country. Travellers were asked to upload proof of a negative test taken no more than 72 hours before departure for India to a government website.
The testing requirement caused a number of Indian tourists to postpone or cancel trips to Thailand, hoteliers in Pattaya said last month.
India was the country’s second-largest source of tourists last year, with nearly 925,000 arrivals. Malaysia led all countries with 1.8 million visitors, according to Immigration Bureau data.
- Keywords
- Coronavirus
- Covid-19
- PCR test
