Maharashtra imposes new Covid-19 curbs for air passengers in wake of Omicron

The Maharashtra government released a new set of rules for flight passengers in the wake of the new threat from Covid-19 variant Omicron and the panic it caused across the world. The new rules will come into effect from today (December 1).

The new order released on Tuesday states that the travel history of all international passengers will be checked upon landing in the state, for which a special proforma is being prepared.

European countries like UK, South Africa, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel are considered to be 'at risk' nations currently.

Also Read | 'It was scary': How South African scientists spotted the Omicron Covid variant

Mandatory institutional quarantine for a week for those coming from 'at-risk' nations and home isolation even for those who test negative on arrival are among the new rules. Here's a look:

1. The state government has stated that passengers coming from 'at-risk' nations will be deboarded from their flights on priority and be taken for checking to separate counters. All such passengers have to undergo mandatory institutional quarantine for seven days, with RT-PCR tests conducted on days 2, 4 and 7. If any of them test positive in these tests, they will be shifted to a hospital. If the test results are found negative, the passengers will have to undergo home quarantine for another week.

2. Passengers from nations except the 'at-risk' countries are required to undergo RT-PCR tests at the airport on arrival. If they are negative, they will have to be isolated for 14 days at home. They will be hospitalised if they are found to be positive.

3. For domestic passengers, a vaccination certificate or an RT-PCR test result not older than 48 hours has to be produced at the time of arrival. Passengers from all other states have to carry a negative RT-PCR test.

4. For international passengers with a connecting flight within India, an RT-PCR test has to be taken at the airport arrival. Only upon a negative result will the person be allowed to board the next flight.

The Centre revised its travel guidelines for international passengers last week after the Omicron scare created widespread panic. International passengers travelling to India will have to submit a Covid-negative report and share their travel history for the previous 14 days before boarding a flight, while those coming from the Omicron-hit countries will have to carry out mandatory Covid-19 test on arrival in India and stay in an isolation facility if tested positive.

Omicron scare in Maharashtra

Six passengers, who arrived in Maharashtra from South Africa and other high-risk countries, tested positive for coronavirus and their swab samples have been sent for genome sequencing on Tuesday. Of those who have come from South Africa and other countries, one each has been found in the municipal corporation limits of Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivali, Mira-Bhayandar and Pune. Two passengers who arrived from Nigeria have been found in the Pimpri-Chinchwad corporation area neighbouring Pune.

At least 1,000 travellers landed in Mumbai in the last fortnight from African countries where the potentially more transmissible variant has been detected, a senior BMC official said on Monday. Swab samples were collected of at least 100 travellers out of the 466 whose list was received so far, Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani told PTI.

BMC has also pushed the reopening of schools in the city to December 15, instead of December 1. Schools for Classes 1 to 4 will reopen in rural areas and for Classes 1 to 7 in urban areas of Maharashtra from December 1.

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