Amid the global scare over the new Omicron variant of Covid-19, Bangladesh has announced new travel rules, making a 14-day institutional quarantine mandatory for all travellers from seven African countries. The countries are Botswana, Eswatini, Ghana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) said recently in its updated travel restriction notification. The order came into effect from 04th December 2021. According to the new travel rules in Bangladesh:
- All passengers from these seven African countries will need to stay at government-designated hotels at their own expense.
- On the seventh and 14th day of quarantine, they will have to undergo RT-PCR tests at their own expense, it said.
- If any passenger tests positive for Covid on the seventh day, they will be separated for further isolation, while Covid-negative travellers will continue their quarantine till the 14th day.
- Depending on the RT-PCR test results on the 14th day of their quarantine, Covid-negative passengers will be released.
- The passengers returning from these seven countries will need to show proof of hotel bookings in Bangladesh during check-in, said CAAB.
- With changes to a previous guideline, incoming passengers from all other destinations, except children below 12 years, will need to mandatorily possess a Covid-negative certificate, with the test conducted within 48 hours of their flight departure, it said.
