Published 08:44 IST, December 22nd 2020
Air India directs crew to remain isolated at layovers amid concerns over new COVID strain
The directive from Air India comes after India suspended all flights to & from the UK between Dec 23 & Dec 31 to stop the arrival of the new COVID-19 strain.
Advertisement
Air India has directed its crew members to remain isolated in their allocated rooms for the complete duration of stay during layovers at all domestic and international stations due to concerns over the new strain of COVID-19. Earlier, on December 21, an Air India official had said that “no decision has been made” regarding the flights from the foreign nations.
Pilots and cabin crew asked to remain isolated during the layovers
A per a circular which is addressed to all their pilots and cabin crew, the airline said that keeping the health risks into consideration, crew laying over at all domestic and international stations are strictly directed to remain isolated.
"As Britain battles a resurgence of the COVID-19 virus, there is disturbing news of the new mutated strain being up to 70 percent more contagious, as per some sources. South-East England and the city of London have been put under a strict 'stay-at-home' order as the virus spread has been termed to be 'out of control' and the situation declared to be 'alarming'," the circular read.
India bans all flights from the UK
The Civil aviation ministry has issued a circular stating that all passengers arriving from the UK on Monday and Tuesday will have to undergo mandatory RT-PCR test at airports in India, moments after the ministry banned all flights arriving from the United Kingdom from December 22, taking pre-emptive measures against the new Coronavirus.
The circular stated, "As a measure of abundant precaution, passengers arriving from the UK in all transit flights (flights that have taken off or flights which are reaching India before 22nd Dec at 11.59 pm) should be subject to mandatory RT-PCR test on arrival at airports."
As per the updated circular by @DGCAIndia, during the transition period ie. upto 2359 hrs IST of 22 December 2020, all passengers arriving to India from United Kingdom shall be compulsorily subjected to RT PCR test at the arrival port in India. https://t.co/sxyH5KAipq
— MoCA_GoI (@MoCA_GoI) December 21, 2020
On December 20, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson informed the public that a new variant of COVID-19 has been found in the United Kingdom announced 'Tier 4' restrictions in several cities for precautions from the potential risks of the new variant of the virus poses.
Given the early evidence we have on this new variant of the virus, and the potential risk it poses, it is with a heavy heart that I must tell you we cannot continue with Christmas as planned. (2/3)
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) December 19, 2020
(With ANI Inputs)
08:44 IST, December 22nd 2020