Gandhinagar: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday announced that the RT-PCR test for Covid-19 has been made mandatory for passengers coming from five countries including China, Japan and Thailand.

“The RT-PCR test to be mandatory for international arrivals from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand. On arrival, if any passenger from these countries is found symptomatic or tests positive for Covid-19 infection, then he/she will be put under quarantine,” Health Minister Mandaviya said in a conversation with ANI.

He also said that the Air Suvidha form filling to declare the current health status will also be made compulsory for international passengers arriving from these Asian countries.

Mandaviya, while chairing a virtual meeting Friday with the health ministers of the states, said that the country needs to be on the alert and be fully prepared for COVID management.

The meeting was held to review the public health preparedness for containment and management of COVID-19 and progress of national COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

Mandaviya has also stressed the importance of public awareness campaigns regarding adherence to Covid-appropriate behaviour in view of the upcoming festive season.

He asked the State Health Ministers to personally monitor and review the preparedness of all infrastructure and ensure adequate stock of essential medicines.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed on Saturday morning that in the past 24 hours, India recorded 201 new COVID-19 infections.

The country’s active caseload currently stands at 3,397 which accounts for 0.01 per cent of the total cases.