Omicron Variant! Maharashtra makes RT-PCR test compulsory for domestic air travellers

The Maharashtra government has made the RT-PCR test compulsory for all passengers arriving at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, due to rising concerns over the Omicron COVID-19 variant. In a circular, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) asked the Mumbai airport operator to communicate this new rule to all the domestic airlines. “The Mumbai Airport operator to communicate to all domestic Airlines that they shall not board, ordinarily, any passenger for landing in Mumbai without RT-PCR test with negative result taken within 72 hours of departure,” the directive stated. The civic body said passengers can be exempted from the RT-PCR report rule only in exceptional cases like family distress, and the testing may be allowed on arrival at the airport in Mumbai.

As per the Centre’s guidelines, the passengers arriving from the “risk” countries specified in the circular will have to undergo a self-paid post-arrival COVID-19 test at the port of arrival, the civic body said.In the latest guidelines, the Maharashtra government has specified that the passengers coming from “risk countries” shall compulsorily undergo institutional quarantine for one week and take RT-PCR tests on the 2nd, 4th and 7th-day post-arrival.The civic body said that it has decided to give two days for the passengers coming from “risk” countries as many of them have already finalised their travel plans and are on the move. Many passengers might be airborne and they might not be aware of these recent guidelines.“To avoid major inconveniences and also to recast their travel plans, a window of two days is proposed to be given to all passengers from the risk countries,” the BMC stated. Countries designated as "at-risk" by the Centre include all the counties in Europe, the UK, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel.