PIL in Delhi HC seeks govt to reconsider 7 days mandatory home quarantine for international arrivals

A Public Interest Litigation has been moved in Delhi High Court seeking a direction to the Government of India to reconsider its guidelines for international arrivals, whereby all of them are mandated to undergo home quarantine for seven days on arrival in India.

By Sushil Batra, A Public Interest Litigation has been moved in Delhi High Court seeking a direction to the Government of India to reconsider its guidelines for international arrivals, whereby all of them are mandated to undergo home quarantine for seven days on arrival in India.

The petitioner Pravasi Legal Cell, through Advocate MP Srivignesh, submitted that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued guidelines for international arrivals dated January 7, 2022, which provided for protocols to be complied by international travelers as well as those to be followed by airlines and all points of entry (airports, seaports and land border). The said Standard Operating Procedure was implemented w.e.f. 11th January 2022 till further orders. The plea stated that as per the guidelines, incoming travelers are required to upload their COVID-19 RT PCR test results on a government portal to be monitored by regional authorities on the eighth day, while continually monitoring their health for another week. Those passengers found symptomatic during the screening will be isolated and taken to a medical facility. If positive, their samples would be sent for genome sequencing to confirm the Omicron strain. All other passengers have to observe seven days mandatory home quarantine.

The plea further submitted that the guideline making it mandatory for all the international passengers to undergo seven-day home quarantine has affected the international passengers especially NRIs and other Indians working abroad to make a short visit to India for various reasons. Petitioner Pravasi Legal Cell (NGO) also submitted that countries all over the world have made it mandatory for travelers to provide 72-hours pre-departure RT-PCR test results which are sufficient to show the person is not infected.

However, the respondent insisting on seven days mandatory quarantine has made it difficult for all the Indians traveling back for short trips, the plea stated.