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NEW DELHI. – India yesterday began allowing fully vaccinated foreign tourists to enter the country on regular commercial flights, in the latest easing of coronavirus restrictions as infections fall and vaccinations rise.
Tourists entering Indianmust be fully vaccinated, follow all Covid-19 protocols and test negative for the virus within 72 hours of their flight, according to the health ministry. Many will also need to undergo a post-arrival Covid-19 test at the airport.
This is the first time India has allowed foreign tourists on commercial flights to enter the country since March 2020, when it imposed one of the toughest lockdowns in the world in an attempt to contain the pandemic. Fully vaccinated tourists on chartered flights were allowed to enter starting last month
While some travellers would have to undergo Covid-19 tests on arrival, people from certain countries that have agreements with India for mutual recognition of vaccine certificates can enter India without taking a test upon arrival.
This means that travellers from several countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, and most European nations, can pass through airports across Indian cities without taking a test.
Though India allowed entry to foreign travellers on chartered flights last month, this is the first time the country has opened its borders to those arriving on commercial flights in months. It plans to encourage travellers to visit the country by issuing 500000 free visas through next March.
With more than 35 million reported infections, India is the second-worst-hit country in the world, after the US. However, India’s daily cases have fallen significantly, with infections hovering at just above 10,000 for over a month.
“The pandemic devastated the industry but things will return to normal once foreign tourists start to arrive,” said Jyoti Mayal, president of the Travel Agents Association of India. – dw.com
Online Reporter