Doha: Amidst a devastating surge of COVID-19 cases, Qatar government on Tuesday has announced a mandatory quarantine for visitors from India as part of efforts to prevent COVID-19 in the country.
The Qatar ministry of health said the quarantine is for people from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Nepal.
The move comes at a time when a deadly second wave of infections hit India, with over 3.5 lakh daily COVID-19 cases reported on a daily basis. Many countries across the world imposed travel bans from India, including the most recent ban from Australia.
Many people from India reach the Gulf through neighboring countries, including Nepal. Nepal’s order banning Indians from going to the Gulf through their country also backfired on Indian expats. Given this situation, a quarantine is thus declared to India’s neighboring countries too.
However, Qatar did not entirely ban travel from India. But, the government made it mandatory to undergo PCR inspection at authorized centers 48 hours before departure.
The Ministry of Health said it would not be possible to board a flight to Qatar without a PCR certificate. Upon arrival in Qatar, one must stay in ten days quarantine.
In addition, a COVID-19 examination should be performed. The inspection should be carried out at the end of the quarantine period. Those traveling to other countries via Qatar are also required to have a COVID-19 test before starting the journey.
The measures are effective from Thursday, April 29 at 12 am (00:00 hours) Doha time, the report said.
The Ministry of Health confirmed in a statement that it is closely monitoring the situation and taking necessary steps in line with public health indicators in Qatar and around the world, and to ensure the health and safety of everyone and encouraging people to take precautions.