COVID new strain: Here is what Delhi Airport plans for flyers from London ahead of India-UK flight ban

India has banned all flights from the UK due to a new strain of Covid-19 virus traced in that country. The most affected will be Delhi-London route since as many as 21 flights in a week are operated even during the pandemic situation. However, Delhi airport (DEL) has a well-equipped Covid-19 testing facility that can test all flyers coming from the UK following guidelines the Central government.

Delhi Airport Covid-19 testing cost, Quarantine rules

The total cost of Covid-19 testing at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport in Delhi is Rs 3,400 which includes testing and lounge. Passengers, who are arriving from the UK and tested Covid positive, will be kept at Vallabh Bhai Patel Quarantine Facility, according to details provided by Genestrings Diagnostic Centre.

Notably, five out of 266 passengers and crew members of a flight, which arrived at Delhi airport from London on December 21 night, have tested positive for COVID-19. The five positive samples have been sent to National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for research on the new strain using Next-Gen Sequencing technology which will help understand the implications on ongoing vaccine efficacy, Dr Gauri Agarwal, Founder and Director of Gesntrings lab said.

The second flight landed at 6 am on December 22 and Covid-19 tests are underway for passengers and flight crew members. There are two more passenger flights scheduled for arrival tonight before the cutoff time of midnight. More than 250 out of 470 flyers from the UK underwent RT-PCR test by Genestrings at the Delhi airport, others yet to be tested for the new coronavirus strain.

The GMR-led Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), which run the Delhi Airport, has arranged a separate waiting lounge to ensure that there is no scope of transmission is left. All passengers and crew will be tested on arrival by Genestrings irrespective of exemptions and existing negative reports in view of this new virus strain.

Genestrings Diagnostic Lab at Terminal 3 of IGI Airport in Delhi has been mandated to ensure 100 per cent testing for entire flight arriving from London Heathrow, including all crew members.”We have made sure that all our staff members at the airport from data entry to billing, everybody is wearing PPE kits, since we want to make sure that we break any chance of transmission of the virus in the country” says Chetan Kohli, COO, Genestrings Labs.

Genestrings Diagnostic Centre is a Delhi-based laboratory which is currently associated with the Delhi government to test COVID-19 samples. The lab is providing Covid testing facility at Delhi Airport. The Covid-19 testing facility has been set up in 3,500 square ft area on the fourth floor of multi-level parking at the Delhi Aiport Terminal 3.