Indian expats seek exemption from self-paid COVID tests on arrival
Dubai, Feb 25 (PTI):
Indian expats in the UAE are seeking exemption from the self-paid COVID-19 tests for passengers on their arrival in India, saying it would be an added burden for those returning home after losing their jobs during the ongoing pandemic, according to a media report.
In a plea, the expats have urged the Indian government to fund the RT-PCR test on arrival in India and exemption for children below 12 years from getting tested twice- in the UAE and India. Various community groups and social workers have supported the plea, the Gulf News reported. India has since February 23 made it mandatory for passengers to produce the negative report of the RT-PCR tests taken within 72 hours before their departure to India. The passengers are also required to undergo self-paid confirmatory molecular test on arrival in India. The on-arrival test cost would be an additional burden for several Indian families flying home, Ashraf Thamarassery, a prominent social worker and winner of India’s Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award for NRIs, said.
