Confirmed: India Will Require Travellers from S’pore to have Negative COVID-19 Tests from 1 Jan 2023

As COVID’s bubbles of precaution, fear, and worry slowly fizzles out, the world can inch toward normalcy.

One aspect of that is air travel, a luxury we haven’t been able to enjoy for years. 

Now that we can finally fly, there are still some precautions we must take so that the pandemic doesn’t spiral out of control again. 

Confirmed: India Will Require Travellers from S’pore to have Negative COVID-19 Tests from 1 Jan 2023

From 1 January 2023, If you’re travelling to India, you must test negative for COVID before entering the country. 

Because of the “evolving COVID-19 situation” in Singapore, as well as other countries on their list, India has to impose this regulation. 

Before you depart from Singapore, you must upload your COVID-negative test report on the Air Suvidha portal.

Created by the Indian Government and discontinued in November 2022, the portal is an online system for international passengers to submit a self-declaration form to declare their health status. 

Originally, people suspected that it was fake news, but the air was cleared after India’s health minister Dr Mansukh Mandviya announced it on Twitter.

RT-PCR test has been made mandatory for flyers coming from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand from 1st January 2023. They will have to upload their reports on the Air Suvidha portal before travel.

— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) December 29, 2022

India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has released a statement saying that the COVID test should be completed within three days (72 hours) before one’s flight. 

Apart from Singapore, the “high-risk countries” list includes China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand. 

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India’s Contaminated Cough Syrup

Because COVID still lurks in the shadows, nobody is safe from it. In some parts of the world, improper remedies can act counterproductively and worsen the situation. 

India’s cough syrup is one such case. 

Just hours ago, Dr Mansukh announced on Twitter that Uzbekistan reported concerns over contaminated cough syrups made by the Indian company Marion Biotech. 

Regarding reports from Uzbekistan concerning contaminated cough syrup made by Indian company Marion Biotech, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, the @CDSCO_INDIA_INF is in regular contact with the national drug regulator of Uzbekistan since 27th December. (1/3)

— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) December 29, 2022

18 children in Uzbekistan have died after consuming the drug, which contained ethylene glycol, a chemical often meant for industrial use. 

In a follow-up statement, the minister announced that “samples of the cough syrup have been taken from the manufacturing premises” and sent for testing. 

The samples of the cough syrup have been taken from the manufacturing premises and sent to Regional Drugs Testing Laboratory, Chandigarh for testing. (3/3)

— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) December 29, 2022

I’d be lying if I said it was an anomalous case. 

After West Africa took in a supply of Indian-made cough syrup in August 2022, nearly 70 children died of acute kidney failure. 

Turns out, the cough syrup contained “unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.” 

All these chemicals are unsafe for consumption and can cause detrimental effects. 

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Featured Image: Twitter (@mansukhmandviya) + Shutterstock (Ringo Chiu)