Chennai,  Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Saturday said the state government has made home isolation and eight-day exit test mandatory for all international passengers arriving in the state.

The state health department has tightened the mandatory norms after several cases of Omicron variant were reported by passengers who arrived in the state from 'not-at-risk' countries also.

All passengers travelling from 'at-risk' countries like Botswana, Brazil, South Africa, China, Israel, Mauritius, New Zealand, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Hong Kong, and all countries in Europe including the UK will continue to be tested on arrival at the four international airports in the state.

The Minister in a statement on Saturday said: "We will continue with the mandatory requirements for passengers from 'at-risk' countries that are mentioned above including testing on arrival and home isolation for eight days if found negative and then exit test but the same will now be implemented to passengers who reach the state from 'not-at-risk' countries also as there are several reports of Omicron variant being detected from passengers who arrives from 'not-at-risk' countries also."

Till Saturday, there was only a 2 per cent random test for passengers who arrive from 'not-at-risk' countries and none of them had to wait for results but were advised to monitor their health condition for two weeks. He said that they were called for hospital isolation only when they test positive as per the Central government guidelines.

The health minister said that the department will now be stepping up testing and monitoring.

He said that the state will now test at least 10 per cent of passengers from 'not-at-risk' countries and insist that all passengers remain in quarantine until an exit test is conducted on the eighth day of arrival.

The minister said that police, revenue, health, and local government bodies will monitor the health condition of passengers who are in quarantine. Passengers in domestic flights will also be asked to provide their travel history, the minister said.