Goa frames new quarantine rules for travellers

Goa has framed new quarantine rules by which institutional quarantine has been made mandatory for symptomatic passengers till test result is available. The new directives require all passengers landing in Goa to go for 14-day home quarantine or 14 days of paid institutional quarantine.

Passengers can skip home quarantine in the following cases:

If the passenger furnishes a COVID-19 negative certificate issued by an ICMR-recognized lab. The test should not be older than 48 hours prior to the arrival in Goa. If the passenger chooses to take a swab test upon landing at a cost of INR 2000, and goes into paid institutional/home quarantine till the result is out.

Guidelines for tourists opting for home quarantine are as under:

• Booking the accommodation (registered hotels) is compulsory, and it will be verified at the entry points in Goa.
• If a tourist shows COVID-19 related symptoms upon arrival during the screening at entry points, he/she will have to undergo a COVID-19 test at the authorised centres at his/her own expense.
• The authorities will verify-

(i) If the visitor has made booking with any registered hotel unit affiliated to the Department of Tourism and has the license to operate, and
(ii) Validity of hotel booking for the duration of the visit.

The tourist will have to follow the following safety protocols:

• If the tourist is carrying a COVID-19 negative certificate, they can directly proceed to the booked accommodations. If no such certificate is presented, he/she will be asked to get tested for COVID-19 at the authorised testing centres/hospitals.
• After that, they will be required to go into self-isolation till the test results are out. The isolation amenity will be offered by the hotel/accommodation, where the booking was done by the tourist.
• Once the test results are declared and if the tourist is found to be COVID-19 negative, he/she can be permitted to travel out of the isolation facility. However, if the tourist tests positive, the accommodation unit will act as per the rules issued by the state health department. All bills related to the quarantine, tests etc. shall be paid by the tourists.
• If the tourist wishes to move from their initial booking for a stay in Goa, it will be sanctioned with the will of the accommodation units run by the tourism department. The tourist has to present the proof of re-booking, if any, to the Rapid Response Leader of the hotel/accommodation unit before they can be moved from the original accommodation.
• In such cases, tourists will have to fill a self-declaration form at the accommodation unit for contact tracing.
• Passengers will have to update/certify the status of their health via the Aarogya Setu mobile app or a self-declaration form.