New COVID-19 strain: SoP for air passengers with foreign travel history at Bhubaneswar Airport

Bhubaneswar: In view of a new SARS-CoV-2 variant detected in the United Kingdom, the Bhubaneswar Airport authorities issued an SoP for passengers with travel history to foreign countries.

The Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) Director has asked all the airline operators to share details about passengers, who have recently returned from overseas.

As per the SoP, the air passengers will have to go for screening by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) at a special kiosk on premises of the airport terminal.

Currently, the international flight operations have been suspended at the Biju Patnaik International Airport. As the domestic flight services have resumed from and to the Bhubaneswar airport, the antigen test is mandatory for the passengers above 55 years with Covid symptoms, informed the airport authorities.

Meanwhile, the State Government has made 14-day home quarantine mandatory for persons with travel history of the UK upon arrival at the airports of the State.

At a time when Odisha is witnessing a sharp decline in COVID-19 active cases, a new mutant strain of Coronavirus may cause a serious public health threat in the State.