IndiaFightsCorona RT-PCR tests mandatory for India arrivals amid concern over C.1.2 Covid variant
New Delhi/IBNS: Passengers arriving to India from seven more countries, including China and South Africa will need a negative RT-PCR test result within 72 hours amid the concern over the C.1.2 COVID variant, the Union Ministry of Health has said in its latest guideline.
The move comes after the discovery of the new COVID variant - C.1.2 - which is considered to be more infectious and has shown signs of evading protection provided by vaccines.
The C.1.2 was first found in South Africa in May.
While earlier this rule was only applicable for arrivals from the UK, Europe and Middle East, seven more countries - South Africa, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe - have been added to the list requiring the RT-PCR test, according to the latest guideline by Ministry of Health.
Till now, WHO hasn't termed the C.1.2 variant as "a variant to follow" or "a variant of concern".
It is a clustering of genetically similar viruses and researchers said that it has gone through a lot of mutations in a short period of time.
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