MUSCAT: With India removing the mandatory pre-departure COVID-RT-PCR test for fully vaccinated international passengers, expat residents in Oman has welcomed the decision by the government.

Starting from February 14, passengers from 82 countries including Oman, who are fully vaccinated need to upload only their vaccination certification in the self declaration form on the Air Suvidha portal instead of the PCR test result.

“This is indeed a great news for all of us. Especially when you are travelling with your family, even infants had to take the PCR. This is a big relaxation,” said Aseem Ashraf, a Muscat resident speaking to The Arabian Stories.

“Families used to spend a lot of money while travelling to India. We used to spend OMR 8 on each PCR before boarding the flight now this will save a lot of money for us,” said Suresh Kurup, an engineer who works in Sohar.

Reena Rahman, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Alhind Tours and Travels said the new decision by the government will boost the Indian tourism industry. “Certainly this is a right step. People who used to travel with their kids endured a lot of pain as they had to take PCR for them. It also will help tourists to visit India without any major restrictions,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Union health ministry also said the mandatory condition for international passengers to undergo a seven-day home quarantine after arriving in India has also been scrapped. The Ministry said that the passengers will be required to “self-monitor” their health for 14 days and isolate themselves in case any symptoms of Covid-19 develop.

Under the new guidelines, the health ministry has also scrapped the separate set of rules for passengers flying from “at-risk” countries. Earlier, travellers from “at-risk” countries were required to submit samples for Covid-19 testing on their arrival in India. They were allowed to leave the airport premises only after their test results came.