The Health and Family Welfare department of the government of Tamil Nadu on Monday issued detailed testing guidelines for people coming from other State / Union Territory to the State through air, rail and road modes.

On Sunday, while extending the lockdown till September 30, the Tamil Nadu government said it would issue a new protocol for quarantine and testing for passengers arriving by air (both from abroad and domestic) and through rail from other States.

Home quarantine

As per the new testing guidelines, all passengers coming to the State should undergo home quarantine for 14 days. Those who develop fever, cough or breathlessness during this period are advised to visit the health facility. Testing will also be done only for symptomatic persons coming from other States / Union Territories.

Those who test positive and found symptomatic will be taken to hospital isolation while those who are positive yet asymptomatic will be taken to Covid Care Centre for Management, the new guidelines said. Those who test negative but still show symptoms will be taken to hospital isolation and treatment will be decided based on medical opinion.

“Business travellers visiting Tamil Nadu for a short stay of 72 hours are exempt from home quarantine norms,” the guideline said, adding, “Auto generated TN ePass is mandatory.”

Returnees from other countries

All the passengers travelling to Tamil Nadu from other countries should have a negative - RT PCR Test report (taken within 96 hours prior to the arrival), the guideline said.

It further added that as a transition arrangement, passengers coming through Vande Bharat Flights alone will be provided RT-PCR facility in the airport on arrival for a week and all asymptomatic individuals will be sent for 14 days home quarantine.

“All those who have RT-PCR negative certificates (taken within 96 hours prior to the arrival) and who are asymptomatic will be allowed to go home and remain in quarantine for 14 days,” it added.

Auto-generated TN ePass is mandatory for those returning from other countries as well.

As per the guidelines, only people who are clinically assigned a very mild, mild case or pre-symptomatic case by the treating medical officer can undergo home isolation.

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