Bangladesh makes fresh travel rules
Quarantine must for passengers from 7 African countries
Incoming passengers from South Africa and six other countries have to stay in 14-day mandatory institutional quarantine at their own expenses in designated hotels from today, said Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh.
The six other countries are: Botswana, Eswatini, Ghana, Lesotho, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. The new potentially more contagious Omicron variant of coronavirus is dominant in those countries, said a CAAB notice issued on Thursday night.
Additionally, while travelling to Bangladesh from anywhere in the world, passengers must have Covid negative test certificates done using RT-PCR machines, within 48 hours of starting a trip. The time frame was 72 hours before Omicron was detected, the notice added.
While in quarantine, a Covid test will be conducted on the seventh day of the stay and another after 14 days. The cost of the tests will also have to be borne by the travellers, read the notice.
The travellers will also have to book hotels before boarding the flights. If the Covid test result is positive after seven days, the respective passenger will be sent to isolation, the notice explained.
If the result comes out negative, the individual still will have to stay in quarantine for the remaining seven days at the hotel, it added.
On the 14th day, a Covid-negative report will allow the returnee to go home.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Thursday announced the 14-day quarantine protocol for passengers arriving from the seven countries. He also warned of stern action against the hotel authorities concerned and incoming passengers for breaching the protocols.