After months of quarantine, this outbreak is at peak in India and still upcoming months are going to be tough and challenging. Every sector is affected adversely because of the total shut down of activities and business.
Slowly and gradually interstate traveling has resumed and there is a lot of noise and confusion about traveling essentials by air. This article covers broadly, highlighting useful tips that make your journey safe and happy.
This article covers air travel mode with guidelines and precautionary steps as per domestic flights in India.
Please don’t travel until it’s very urgent and necessary, in India, there is record 62,000+ COVID cases each day and one security is in your own hand.
1. Documents Required
The most crucial part is the list of documents while traveling in a pandemic that needs to adhere as per the guidelines and policies into effect with respect to airline and state.
Keep a separate manual folder with all hard copies of documents into it. Airlines are asking to bring hard copies now in this pandemic to make the process more smooth but in emergency soft copies are also acceptable.
Below is the checklist:
- e-Pass – This is the most crucial document while traveling in pandemic as per each state guidelines. Before leaving please check your destination state official e-pass website and get yourself registered and collect the printout of movement registration slip. While registering details like flight no, source address, destination address, mode of travel, name, date of travel, reason for travel and your health status will be asked. Providing e-pass on source and destination is mandatory. Note – e-pass and boarding pass are different.
- Boarding pass – Web check-in boarding pass is compulsory and will be checked strictly at entry. Boarding pass is generated by the official airline website by enrolling your PNR and personal details then need to select a preferred seat and finally, the boarding pass will be sent to your email or can be downloaded on the official site. It consists of details like PNR no, DOJ, seat no, flight no, source and destination, boarding and departure time and gate no will be provided by staff on airport.
- Self-health declaration form- Passenger needs to declare health statistics like is not residing in any containment zone, is not suffering from any fever, cough, or any respiratory distress. Form will be sent to mail as per the flexibility of airline guidelines as per traveling in pandemic. Note -Please carry the printout on the day of travel.
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Home printed bag tag – While traveling in pandemic make sure to carry printed bag tag with PNR and passenger details. This can be sent by airline or need to print manually.
- Flight ticket – Flight is mandatory with all the relevant flight details and passenger’s details. Please read the mentioned compulsory guidelines for domestic travel with effect from 25th May 2020 to ensure safety.
- Valid personal ID proof – Passengers need to carry valid ID proof like voter card, PAN, Adhar card, DL, passport to justify their identity.
2. Aarogya Setu App
- All travelers above 14 years of age must have the Aarogya Setu App activated on their mobile before arriving at the airport.
- Update your health status on Aarogya Setu App while traveling in a pandemic.
- Initially, the temperature is tracked and then the passenger needs to show Aarogya Setu App at entry point.
- Passengers must be physically well for traveling.
3. Make masks your best friend
Traveling in a pandemic mask is the most important essential which is a lifesaver. in the US a recent model suggested that if everyone wears masks 33,000 lives can be saved so masks need to be added in our lifestyle if it can save our life so simple is that!
Have a decent stock of masks in your handbag as now it’s easily available in the market and dispose of the infected mask and replace it with a new one.
4. Sanitization
- Sanitizing hand with alcohol-based hand sanitizers is best practice to kill the germs on our hand which can be spread by direct contact with our mouth and nose.
- Make sure hand sanitizer has a good amount of alcohol content.
- Sanitize your hands properly on your palm, between fingers, and opposite your hand.
- If possible get sanitizer spray which can come handy in sanitizing luggage or bench or seat.
5. Social-distancing
- While traveling recently when COVID-19 outbreak is at the peak, believe me, people are not serious about safety as per my own experience, still, there are careless selfies and photo clicking sessions in face shield, PPE kit like a fancy dress competition.
- We must salute people out there at the airport for our safety on the frontline but we disappoint them by not adhering to the social distancing while boarding and vacating the flight.
- Maintain 6 feet or two arms distance while traveling in a pandemic.
- Don’t rush yourself to avoid such issues reach the airport 2 hours before.
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6. Hand Gloves: A safety or false buzz
- Wearing hand gloves is mostly recommended for those who are on the frontline and know how to handle it.
- Incomplete knowledge of handling it like how to dispose and when to use can lead to risk.
- Instead sanitizing hand with alcohol-based sanitizers on regular intervals is best practice.
- Selling of hand gloves and creating buzz is a marketing strategy to sell the product at cost of fear.
- Wearing gloves is a personal call but before that justify yourself are you responsible to handle it correctly?
6. The Buzz about protective kit offered from airline
- Airline services provide a pack of face-shield, one disposable face mask, and a mini sash pouch of sanitizers to all passengers.
- But carrying own hand sanitizers is recommended.
- PPE kit is provided to passengers on the middle seat.
7. Procedure at Destination on arrival
- After passengers collect luggage from the conveyer belt are asked to make a queue with e-pass ready.
- E-pass is verified.
- Before exit passengers temperature is tracked if healthy stamped with HQ – Home Quarantine.
- Passenger needs to update the current status on the Aarogya Setu app.
8. Important measures to be taken for your own safety
- 14 days home quarantine is a must for own safety and social distance must be maintained.
- Passengers must dispose their infected PPE kit, face shield, and mask in yellow bio-waste at the airport before leaving the airport.
- Passengers must follow guidelines issued by the locality to cooperate with the fight against the outbreak.
- A regular update is taken by the local authority from passengers.
- Wear masks and keep washing your hands at regular intervals.
- Have a balanced meal and maintain good track of health.
- Use tissues and dispose it properly after sneezing and coughing.
Bhaskar Pandey is a Hyderabad Techie from Bihar/Jharkhand, professionally a Cloud Enginner and passionately involved with storytelling and writing, he is a descendant of Scorpio Sunshine who loves to unwrap the layers of life. He believes that writing is a serious job with a sensitive touch of responsibility which can bring organic change in folks, bring him down as a blogger. Madly believes the mantra “You become, what you think.”
good, very informative article
Thank you, brother.
Please tell about the mask is N95 is good or not?
Now N95 with valves are not able to control the spread as per recent news. Basically N95 masks are used for sophisticated purposes, so using normal disposable masks are good options. But N95 without valves are good to go.