Passengers arriving at Silchar airport to undergo mandatory Covid-19 tests from 21 April at Tikol hospital

April 20: All air passengers arriving at Silchar airport in Assam will have to mandatorily undergo Covid test. No fees is payable by the passengers for RAT. If the RAT is positive, the passengers will have to undergo home isolation or get admitted in private hospital or Government Health Institution, depending upon his/ her medical condition. If the RAT is negative, the passenger will have to undergo RT-PCR test on payment basis as per the approved rate (present maximum rate is Rs 500/-). This was informed by Suman Choudhury, District Media Expert on Tuesday.

The test will be conducted at Mahatma Gandhi Model Hospital at Tikol in Cachar. Passengers arriving by flight at Silchar (of Cachar, Karimganj & Hailakandi) will be taken by bus at the Tikol Hospital, wherein they will have to 1st undergo RAT test. Suman Choudhury informed that as because there is constraint of space at Silchar Airport, so the health authorities will ferry the passengers arriving at the airport by bus to Tikol Hospital. He said that daily, around 700 to 800 passengers will be tested.

If the report of RAT is negative, then that passenger will have to undergo RT-PCR test, for which he/she will have to pay an amount of Rs.500. After the RT-PCR sample is collected, the passenger will be allowed to leave the hospital premises subject to the condition that he/ she will remain in quarantine till the RT-PCR test result is declared. Hand stamping of the passengers after RT-PCR sample collection is to be done.

If the RT-PCR test is positive, the passenger will have to undergo home isolation or get admitted in private hospital or Government Health Institution, depending upon his/ her medical condition. An undertaking as in Annexure-I will have to be furnished by each passenger. If the RT-PCR test is negative, the passenger can continue his/her normal activities subject to compliance with COVID-19 appropriate behaviour and norms.

There will be no exemptions from the above mentioned tests in case of any passenger arriving in Assam and all earlier standard exemptions in this connection are hereby withdrawn. However, those passengers who after arriving in Silchar airport wants to go to other North Eastern states will not be tested here at Tikol. A declaration will be taken from them and then they will be allowed to proceed for their onward journey. However, such passengers cannot halt in Cachar or Barak Valley and will have to proceed immediately after showing a valid proof of their onward journey.