Maharashtra Issues SOPs For Travelers: RT-PCR Tests Mandatory For Passengers From 4 States, No Entry Without Negative Covid Report

According to the new guidelines, every passenger arriving from Delhi-NCR, states of Goa, Rajasthan, and Gujarat will have to mandatorily carry a COVID-19-negative (RT-PCR) report while traveling by either rail, road, or train.

(PTI Photo/R Senthil Kumar)(PTI25-05-2020_000125B)

The Maharashtra government fearing a surge in the Covid-19 situation, issued fresh guidelines for the passengers traveling to the state from four different coronaviruses hit states. The freshly ordered standard operating procedures (SOPs) by the state will be applied to all the passengers traveling to the state by the means of land, air, or railway transport with effect from November 25. According to the new guidelines, every passenger arriving from Delhi-NCR, states of Goa, Rajasthan, and Gujarat will have to mandatorily carry a COVID-19-negative (RT-PCR) report while traveling.

• For travelers arriving in the state by means of air, they should carry a Covid-19 negative report that should be more than 72 hours from the scheduled arrival in the state, the state government said in a statement.
• If the passenger fails to carry a negative Covid-19 report, passengers without symptoms will need to take up the rapid antigen test, if found positive they will be shifted to the Covid Care Center (CCC), the cost of the CCC will be borne by the passenger itself.
• The contact information and address shall be collected for those taking the test at the airport in order to facilitate contact, in case the report comes negative.
• On the other hand, passengers arriving in the state via railway will have to carry an RT-PCR negative test report from a sample collected 96 hours before the scheduled arrival in the state.

"Passengers not having the RT-PCR test reports will have to compulsorily undergo RT-PCR tests at concerned airports at their own costs. The airport shall arrange the testing centers and charge the passengers directly for testing," the statement read. Meanwhile, for those passengers traveling by road, according to the state government SOPs, the concerned district collectors of land border districts shall make arrangements to ensure that the passengers coming from these four states shall be tested for symptoms including body temperature. The Uddhav Thackeray led Maharashtra government stated that entry will be allowed to only those passengers without symptoms. "Passengers with symptoms shall have the option of turning back and going home to recuperate," it added. Passengers displaying symptoms will be segregated and made to undergo antigen test. If the tests come negative, the passenger will be allowed to enter the state. The new SOPs comes after Chief Minister of the state Uddhav Thackeray addressed the citizens on Sunday, warning them to take precautions or the next wave of the Covid-19 may the state like a “Tsunami”. Meanwhile, Maharashtra has reported 5,753 new COVID-19 cases, 4,060 recoveries, and 50 deaths on Sunday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 17,80,208, said State Health Department. Though the number of active cases stands at 81,512 and around 16,51,064 have recovered so far. The death toll is at 46,623.