More on Covid-19

NEW DELHI: International passengers flying into India on Saturday faced trouble in being cleared by airlines for taking connecting domestic flights to their hometowns. Later in the day, health authorities and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had to direct airlines to allow them to fly to their home cities and get quarantines there.Health authorities issued an advisory, asking all “airlines not to trouble home quarantine passengers and allow them (to) fly.”“It is brought to the notice by doctors working for screening of passengers for COVID-19 travelling from abroad at IGI Airport, New Delhi, that airlines are refusing passengers to board for local/ national travel who are home quarantined. As per present (health ministry) instructions they can fly to their home and then quarantine (there) for 14 days. That's why at triage the health team are linking such passengers to the concerned states’ IDSP (integrated disease surveillance programme)… it is advised to all airlines not to trouble home quarantine passengers and allow them (to) fly,” says the advisory issued by Dr A K Gadpayle principal consultant ( DGHS) at IGI Airport.A senior DGCA official said, “we have also asked airlines to cooperate.”