Covid-19: Negative Report now mandatory to Travel

NEW DELHI: In the wake of a sudden rise in coronavirus cases in India once again, several state governments have made a Covid-19 negative test mandatory for travellers on arrival.

The move has come because, in the past week, 86% of the new virus cases have emerged from five states themselves. These include Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab.

Maharashtra and Kerala alone account for 75% of the country’ current active cases after a sudden rise in new infections in recent days

Here’s a list of all the states that now require a negative coronavirus test report from the passengers on or before the arrival.

Covid-19 Rules In States

Delhi

The Delhi government made it mandatory to carry Covid-19 negetive reports for people coming to Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab.

According to Delhi government official sources, this order will be in force from midnight of February 26 to noon of March 15.

India’s total Covid-19 active caseload currently stands at 1.46 lakh, as of Feb 24, 2021.

Officers in these states will be asked to verify Covid negative reports from tests taken up to 72 hours before the flight before allowing passengers to leave for Delhi.

A formal order regarding this will be issued today.

This order will be applicable to the passengers coming to Delhi by flight, train and bus while the passengers coming by car will be excluded.

Karnataka

The state government mandated a negative RT-PCR certificate that is not older than 72 hours for those arriving in the state by flights, buses, trains and personal transport from Maharashtra.

The report shall be verified at the time of boarding by airline staff, a circular issued by the Additional Chief Secretary Department of Health and Family Welfare Jawaid Akhtar said.

For those travelling by bus, tickets shall be issued on production of negative RT-PCR report or shall be checked by the bus conductor while boarding of those who have booked tickets online, etc

In trains, the TTEs shall check the report, it said, adding that a random check of the testing reports from the persons arriving at the tollgates /point of entry shall be made for those coming by personal transport.

In a similar circular, Karnataka earlier this week had issued new guidelines mandating all those coming from Kerala to the state to carry a negative RT-PCR test report not older than 72 hours.

The recovery rate in India stands at 97.25% as of February 24.

 

Maharashtra

All incoming passengers from Kerala, Goa, Gujarat, Delhi-NCR, and Rajasthan coming to Maharashtra will have to present RTPCR negative reports, as per the new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued by the Maharashtra government.

The RT-PCR sample collection should have been done within 96 hours before the scheduled arrival in Maharashtra.

The passengers without symptoms will be allowed entry .

Passengers not testing/found Covid positive shall be sent to Covid Care Centre (CCC) for further care. The cost of further care including CCC shall be borne by the passenger themselves, the SOP had mentioned earlier.

Pune

The Pune Municipal Corporation has issued an order making it mandatory for passengers arriving from Kerala to undergo an RT-PCR test on arrival.

Uttarakhand

The Uttarakhand government yesterday issued an order to make the Covid test mandatory for people coming from five states in the wake of a surge in coronavirus cases in these states.

“Due to the rise in Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, travellers from these states have to undergo testing on arrival in Uttarakhand at state borders, railway stations and Dehradun airport,” said
Dehradun District Magistrate.

Haridwar

Devotees who wish to attend the forthcoming Kumbh Mela must bring a Covid-19 negative RT-PCR test report, according to a standard operating procedure (SOP) issued by the Centre for holding the religious congregation.

The RT-PCR test must be conducted within 72 hrs of the date of the visit, stated in the document by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The Uttarakhand government shall ensure that healthcare and other frontline workers engaged during Kumbh Mela medical and public health operations are vaccinated on priority.

Jammu and Kashmir

Authorities in Kashmir on February 20 ordered that inbound travellers will not be allowed to leave the airport here until their test report is received.

The test reports will be issued on the spot before letting the travellers go, an official spokesman said.

The spokesman further said it has been decided that those travellers whose reports come positive would be isolated in order to prevent transmission and spread of the infection among the local population.

Relevant protocol as given in the Covid-19 SOP manual will be followed in the case, he said.

The meeting was informed that those with 48-hour-old RT-PCR negative reports from their departing cities will not have to undergo testing at the Srinagar airport.

Manipur

The state government has made the Covid test mandatory for passengers coming from Maharashtra and Kerala. This applies to passengers coming by flights and will be in place from February 24.

Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, Ladakh

The governments of Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, and Ladakh have made it mandatory for all the passengers to carry a negative test report.

People have to carry a test report irrespective of their mode of transport. People who do not carry the report will have to undergo the coronavirus test at the entry point.

Chhattisgarh

The state government has asked authorities to ensure screening of people coming into the state from outside through various modes of transportation, an official said.

In a directive issued to divisional commissioners and district collectors on Monday, the General Administration Department (GAD) has asked them to make arrangements for Covid-19 screening and contact tracing of people entering Chhattisgarh from other states, he said.

The authorities have been asked to ensure strict adherence to SOPs related to Covid-19 screening for passengers at Raipur and Jagdalpur airports, particularly for travellers arriving from Delhi and Mumbai, he said.

Govt’s fresh guidelines on international travel

Covid-19 new guidelines – Before travel:

1. As part of the new set of guidelines issued by the civil aviation ministry, all international travellers except the ones coming on flights originating from the UK, Europe and the Middle East will have to submit a self-declaration form on Air Suvidha portal

2. International passengers will also have to upload a negative Covid-19 RT-PCR report with exception of those travelling to India in the exigency of death in the family. For seeking exemption, the travelling entity will have to apply to the online portal www.newdelhiairport.in at least 72 hours before boarding.

3. The test should have been conducted within 72 hours prior to the journey and each passenger will also have to submit a declaration with respect to the authenticity of the report.

4. International travellers arriving through seaports/land ports will also have to undergo the same protocol, however, the facility for online registration is not available for such passengers at the moment.

5. All such clauses shall be applicable to travellers coming/transiting from flights originating in the UK, Europe and Middle East except for clauses on testing, quarantine and isolation.

Covid-19 rules While boarding:

6. All passengers shall be advised to download the Aarogya Setu app on their mobile devices. At the time of boarding the flight, only asymptomatic travellers will be allowed to board after the thermal screening.

7. Suitable precautionary measures such as environmental sanitation and disinfection shall be ensured at the airports. During boarding all possible measures to ensure physical distancing is to be ensured.

8. For those who have to take connecting flights, airlines should keep the passengers informed about the need for the transit time of a minimum of 6-8 hours at the entry airport (in India) for the required testing and other procedures while booking the tickets for connecting flights.

Covid-19 rules On arrival:

9. Airlines should identify the international travellers arriving from/transiting through the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa (during the past 14 days) and segregate them in-flight or while disembarking to facilitate the authorities to follow the due
protocol in respect of these travellers.

10. All travellers arriving from/transiting through flights originating in the United Kingdom, Europe or the Middle East shall be mandatorily subjected to self-paid confirmatory molecular tests on arrival at the Indian airports concerned (port of entry)

11. The state-wise passenger manifest of the flights originating from Europe and the Middle East and landing at Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai airports in India for the said period shall be conveyed by the Bureau of Immigration to State Government/Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme.

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