Indian nationals being evacuated from Ukraine have been exempted from the mandatory COVID-19 requirements for international arrivals, it was announced on Monday, February 28. Indian nationals not fulfilling either of the mandatory requirements of pre-boarding negative RT-PCR test report or fully vaccinated certificate as laid down in the present 'Guidelines for International Arrivals' have been exempted from uploading these documents on Air-Suvidha Portal before departure to India.
The Union Health Ministry on Monday revised the International Travel Guidelines, in collaboration with the Ministries of External Affairs, Civil Aviation, and Home to lend support in evacuating Indians from Ukraine.
Further, the ministry has allowed individuals who have completed their COVID-19 vaccination, irrespective of the country of departure/vaccination, to exit the arrival airport in India with the advice to self-monitor their health for the next 14 days.
In case a traveller is not able to submit a pre arrival RT-PCR test or who has not completed their COVID-19 vaccination, they have been allowed to submit their samples on arrival with the advice to continue to self-monitor their health for 14 days after arrival in India. If tested positive, they shall be clinically managed as per laid down protocol.
As on February 28, a total of five flights - one in Mumbai and four in Delhi - carrying Indians from Ukraine arrived in India carrying a total of 1,156 passengers with none of the passengers being kept under isolation so far, said the ministry in a statement.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday said that the sixth flight from Budapest has departed for New Delhi with 240 Indian passengers onboard under 'Operation Ganga'.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reviewed the progress of evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine and decided to send four Union Ministers as Special Envoy to the neighbouring countries of Ukraine to oversee the evacuation mission under Operation Ganga.
According to officials, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia will be going to Romania and Moldova, Kiren Rijiju to Slovakia, Hardeep Singh Puri to Hungary and Gen V.K. Singh (Retd) to Poland.