Arrival by Spl Flight: Institutional quarantine reduced to five days

The government has decided that passengers arriving from abroad on special flights will have to stay under institutional quarantine in government-designated hotels for five days instead of 14 days.

The decision came at a virtual inter-ministerial meeting on Thursday, with Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen in the chair. The decision became effective on the same day.

According to minutes of the meeting, inbound passengers having taken two shots of a coronavirus vaccine and having Covid-19 negative certificates will be allowed to quarantine at their homes for 14 days. In that case, the local administration will ensure their stay under home quarantine.

Incoming passengers having taken a single dose of a Covid-19 vaccine or not taken any shot and having a coronavirus negative certificate will have to stay under institutional quarantine in government-designated hotels for three days.

Later, if the passengers are tested negative for the virus, they will have to stay in home quarantine for 11 days and the local administration will ensure this.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam told the meeting that the existing government facilities for institutional quarantine seemed to be not enough considering the large number of passengers flying in from five countries on special flights.

SPECIAL FLIGHTS TO KUWAIT, BAHRAIN

Amid concerns that visas of many Bangladeshi migrant workers would expire due to suspension of regular international flights to and from Dhaka since April 14, the meeting on Thursday also decided to allow airlines to operate flights to Kuwait and Bahrain.

Special flights on these two routes will start from tomorrow.

The meeting further decided that Bangladeshis stuck in different Indian cities would be allowed to return home through land ports.

In that case, the incoming Bangladeshi citizens will have to stay under institutional quarantine for 14 days under government management.