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, where the new potentially more contagious Omicron variant of coronavirus is dominant, said a CAAB notice issued on Thursday night.

For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel.

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 travelling. The timeframe was 72 hours before Omicron was detected, the notice added.

While in quarantine, one 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 for 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 hotel authorities and incoming passengers for breaching the protocols. 



Bangladesh makes fresh travel rules
Source: Trend Viral Philippines