SAN FRANCISCO: The Covid-time cap of testing a maximum of six aviation personnel in an hour and the requirement of personnel conducting these tests wearing PPE kits has been dropped with the significant drop in infection rate and a return to almost pre-pandemic air traffic.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday issued an amended order for breath analyser (BA) tests following a dispensation granted by the Delhi high court on the matter recently.
From October 14 all BA rules in force pre-Covid times shall be implemented with mandatory hygienic precautions put in place during the pandemic.
The Delhi HC on September 8, 2022, “modified its order dated May 11, 2021, and has dispensed with the restriction of testing only six personnel in one hour… and has also mandated that the guidelines issued by the DGCA from time to time shall continue to operate,” the DGCA order issued by its joint DG Maneesh Kumar on Wednesday says.
“Now, in view of reducing trend of Covid-19 cases and increase in volume of air traffic as a result of resumption of normal operations and also in view of dispensation granted by the Delhi high court of Delhi…. it has been decided to restore the (original rules) CAR with (some) conditions,” the DGCA order says.
The precautions that will need to be taken while conducting BA tests include:
They “to the extent feasible shall be carried out in a bigger and an open area which has CCTV coverage or camera recording”.
The qualified person conducting this test “shall scan a person for symptoms of Covid-19 before carrying out a BA test. If any person is detected with Covid-19 symptoms , the person shall be exempted from BA test and be removed from duty. Such person shall undergo the required examination and shall return to duty only after having been declared fit…. Such cases shall not be treated as missed BA case,” Maneesh Kumar’s order says.
“The person carrying out the test and undergoing the test should ensure hygiene conditions. (Person carrying out) shall take a Rapid Antigen Test or any other test for Covid-19 as approved by the respective State Government prior to joining the duty for the BA testing. Before every use, the BA equipment should be sanitised using UV sterilisers. During intervening period, from from the date of issue of this order (Sept 14) and till October 14, 2022, (immediately before the date of complete restoration)…. all the conditions… shall remain in force except (those) related to wearing of PPE by the medical staff involved in conduct of BA Test and (those) related to conduct of only six BA test in an hour. These two conditions shall stand dispensed from the date of issue of this order,” the DGCA order adds.
