AAI asks passengers to mandatorily download Aarogya Setu, carry hand-sanitizer
Air passengers will now be required to have the government's COVID-19 contact tracing app Aarogya Setu app on their phones, as per guidelines issued by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Friday. The guidelines, which also ask travelers to carry hand sanitizers, were issued as India is preparing to resume air travel in a "graded manner." Here are more details.
What do the guidelines say?
According to the guidelines, passengers must download the Aarogya Setu app, do a web-check in and carry a print out of their boarding pass. They must also maintain a distance of at least four feet from co-passengers, wear a mask and other protective gear. Passengers have been asked to carry a 350 ml bottle of sanitizer all the time, and frequently wash/sanitize their hands.
AAI manages over 100 airports across India
The state-run AAI manages over 100 airports across India, barring ones in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad that are managed by private companies. The AAI tweeted Friday, "With the possibility of resumption of domestic flights soon, AAI has released some steps that must be followed."
You can view the tweet here
'When we resume flights, it'll be in graded manner'
Earlier this month, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had said, "When we open up schedule flights, it'll be in a calibrated and graded manner," adding that the operations may start at 25% capacity of what was stopped in March-end. Last week, Puri tweeted, "Preparations to restart civil aviation operations are in place," adding that a decision on the resumption of flights is awaited.
How bad is the coronavirus outbreak in India?
According to the latest update from the Union Health Ministry, as of 8 am on Saturday, India had reported a total of 85,940 COVID-19 cases. These included 2,752 deaths and 53,035 active cases along with 30,152 patients who were cured or discharged and one patient who migrated out of India. With this, India's tally has surpassed that of China, where the outbreak first emerged.
