From today, negative RT-PCR report must for people arriving in Mumbai from Delhi, Rajasthan, Goa and Gujarat

Starting today, November 25, people arriving in Mumbai and elsewhere in Maharashtra from Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Goa by air and train must carry with them a negative Covid-19 RT-PCR test report done three to four days before arrival, or they will be tested on arrival.

The government said that a negative RT-PCR report will be compulsory for boarding flights to the financial capital. In case of flights, the test has to be undertaken 72 hours before landing. For trains, the time is 96 hours.

Passengers arriving without a Covid negative test report will have to compulsorily undergo the RT-PCR test at the airport at their own cost. The passengers will be allowed to go home only after undertaking the test. The airport shall arrange the testing centres and charge the passengers directly for testing, it added. At railway stations, those without Covid test reports will need to undergo antigen tests.

Similarly, rail passengers coming to Maharashtra from stations originating at or having a halt at stations in Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Goa are required to carry RT-PCR negative test report before entering the state.

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However, railway passengers not having RT-PCR test negative report would be screened for symptoms and body temperature at the alighting railway stations. Passengers without symptoms would be allowed to go home but those who show symptoms will be made to undergo antigen test. The passengers will be allowed to go home if their antigen test comes negative.

While Maharashtra is recording less than 5,000 cases every day, cases are gradually rising in Mumbai post Diwali. On November 16, BMC reported 409 new cases, which rose to 1,135 cases on November 22. Mumbai is contributing to nearly one-fifth of the state’s new case load.

On Monday, Maharashtra recorded 4,152 new cases, of them 800 were from Mumbai. There are 81,902 actively infected Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra. Officials are fearful that with unregulated movement of people post Diwali there could be a spike in cases in the state and in cities like Mumbai.

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