Highly infectious C.1.2 strain leads to changed rules at Mumbai airport

Mumbai's civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has made RT-PCR tests mandatory for international passengers arriving at the city airport from September 3 after the discovery of a new strain of the coronavirus - C.1.2.

"RT-PCR test mandatory for international passengers arriving at Mumbai Airport from UK, Europe, Middle East, South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe upon arrival at the airport at their own cost, in wake of the discovery of a new strain of Covid-19," the BMC said in a statement.

As per the new guidelines, the provision of institutional quarantine for international passengers travelling by air has been scrapped. However, some new guidelines have been introduced for international travellers.

The new COVID variant C.1.2, which was first reported in South Africa, has not been found in India so far, government sources said.