Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 24

The government has made RTPCR, the test for covid-19, mandatory for all arrivals from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand in the wake of a surge in cases in these countries.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya made the statement as India began random testing of 2 per cent of all international arrivals from 10am on Saturday.

RTPCR has a higher accuracy than rapid antigen tests, with the government mandate to states also being ensuring 70 per cent RTPCR and the rest antigen-based testing for accuracy.

India’s challenge is to track any potential new variant.

So far, the Chinese surge has been powered by the Omicron variant and its lineages some of which are highly transmissible. They are, however, less severe than Delta.