New Delhi: India saw the biggest spike in COVID-19 cases for the third consecutive day on Sunday with 6,767 new infections reported in the last 24 hours taking the nationwide tally to 1,31,868, while the death toll due to the disease rose to 3,867 with 147 more fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry.
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, after visiting the dedicated COVID-19 health centre (DCHC) at Chaudhary Brahm Prakash Ayurved Charak Sansthan (CBPACS) in Najafgarh, said the country has ramped up its testing capacity and around 1,50,000 tests can be conducted every day.
“Yesterday itself, we have conducted 1,10,397 tests. Till yesterday, we have conducted 29,44,874 tests,” he said, adding that India now has 422 government laboratories and 177 private laboratory chains to conduct COVID-19 tests.
Travel guidelines
Meanwhile, the health ministry also issued a separate guideline for domestic travel and international arrivals. In the guidelines for domestic travel, the ministry advised passengers to download the Aarogya Setu app on their mobile phones and asked states to ensure thermal screening at the departure point of airports, railway stations and bus terminals.
Asymptomatic passengers should be permitted to travel after being asked to self-monitor for 14 days, it said. Dos and Don’ts shall be provided along with tickets to travellers by agencies concerned, said the ministry’s guidelines for domestic travel (air/train/inter-state bus travel).
The Health Ministry also issued guidelines for international arrivals, saying that before boarding, all travellers shall give an undertaking that they would undergo mandatory quarantine for 14 days.
While domestic flights will resume from Monday, international flights remain suspended.
Before boarding, all travellers shall give an undertaking that they would undergo mandatory quarantine for 14 days — seven days’ paid institutional quarantine at their own cost, followed by seven days isolation at home with self-monitoring of health, the guidelines said. (PTI)
