IATA frustrated with India’s new COVID testing requirement

International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said that India's decision to re-introduce coronavirus testing for international passengers is ‘disappointing and a step backwards’ as the current situation is different from when the pandemic started around three years ago. 

IATA is a grouping of nearly 290 airlines, including various Indian carriers.

Philip Goh who is IATA's Regional Vice President for Asia Pacific, in a statement told PTI, “India's decision to reintroduce Covid-19 testing is disappointing and a step backwards. We are in a different situation from when Covid-19 started about three years ago. Medical treatments are available. Vaccination levels are high. Governments need to respond based on science and facts."

Amid a spurt in coronavirus cases in different parts of the world, the Indian government has decided to make a negative Covid report must for passengers arriving from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand from January 1. Last week, authorities also started random testing of two per cent of passengers arriving on each international flight.

According to him, the experience from the last three years has shown that travel restrictions or testing requirements are ineffective, as reported by PTI.

"It is disappointing that governments have not learned this lesson and are reimposing restrictions. Testing requirements have a negative impact on travel as people tend to avoid being tested," he said.

Apart from the random testing, the government on 29 December has also made negative RT-PCR report mandatory for flyers from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand from January 1, 2023.

Meanwhile on Thursday (Dec 29), India recorded 268 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases increased to 3,552. The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.46 crore (4,46,77,915).

The death toll stands at 5,30,698 with two fatalities with one reconciled by Kerala and one death reported from Maharashtra in the last 24 hours.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.11 per cent while the weekly positivity was pegged at 0.17 per cent, the ministry said.

-B