RT-PCR report shouldn't be required for fully vaccinated persons for travel: NTAGI chairperson

Many states are demanding a Covid-19 negative certificate even from fully vaccinated people

With more people travelling across states, the central government informed state governments that RT-PCR test reports should not be mandatory for those who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

“The Union health ministry has communicated to the states regarding this. Covid-19 vaccines provide strong immunity and protection against the disease. With the ongoing pandemic, RT-PCR testing should be done where it is required. For travel purposes, a full vaccination certificate is sufficient," Mint quoted NTAGI chairperson Dr N.K. Arora as saying.

Earlier, the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) had come to the conclusion that fully vaccinated persons do not need a negative RT-PCR test report for travelling even as many states were demanding a Covid-19 negative certificates from fully vaccinated people.

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States across the country are continuously updating travel guidelines based on the situation in their own states and others. Some states mandated negative RT-PCR tests while others had scrapped this requirement.

Seeing the rise in Covid-19 cases in Kerala, the Tamil Nadu government had made a negative RT-PCR test report or full Covid-19 vaccination certificate mandatory for people coming from Kerala.

Similarly, Goa made a negative RT-PCR test report mandatory for travellers from Kerala while Karnataka also mandated a negative report for people coming from Kerala and Maharashtra.

Chhattisgarh had made the negative RT-PCR report mandatory for every traveller coming by air.