RT-PCR only for fliers from ‘high-risk’ nations

State lays down separate guidelines for passengers from ‘high-risk’ and ‘at-risk’ countries

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government on Thursday issued revised guidelines for air passengers coming into the state, making it mandatory for passengers coming from South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe to undergo RT-PCR testing on arrival and a seven-day institutional quarantine to contain the spread of Omicron variant of Covid-19. The fresh order, which was issued after the Centre asked the state health department to “align” its order with the guidelines of the Union ministry of health, also removed the rule that mandated negative RT-PCR test reports for domestic fliers coming into Maharashtra from other states. Instead, passengers will either have to be fully vaccinated or carry an RT-PCR negative report conducted within 72 hours prior to boarding.

While keeping the Centre’s guidelines as “minimum restriction”, the state’s latest order created a category called ‘high-risk countries’ - South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. The seven-day institutional quarantine will also be mandatory for passengers who have travelled to the high risk countries in the past 15 days. However, fliers coming from countries that are designated as ‘at-risk’ by the Centre, European countries including the United Kingdom, Brazil, Bangladesh, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel, will have to follow guidelines issued by the Centre, government officials said. These include a self-paid Covid-19 test on arrival, seven-day home quarantine, if negative, and a re-test on the eighth day.

The order issued by chief secretary Debashish Chakrabarty said that the list of ‘high-risk countries’ is a dynamic one and will be updated as and when required by the state government. The order said that all passengers from ‘high-risk’ countries shall have to undergo RT-PCR Test immediately on arrival at the respective international airport and shall undergo mandatory seven-day institutional quarantine. Another RT-PCR test will be conducted on the seventh day. If positive, then the passenger shall be shifted to a hospital. In case the result is negative, the passenger will have to undergo a further seven days of home quarantine.

Dr Shashank Joshi, a member of the state Covid task force, said that the move to make institutional quarantine mandatory for three nations has been done as it is suspected that community transmission has started in these African nations. “If they are inbound from countries where there is community transmission of Omicron, they need complete supervision like institutional quarantine. The institutional quarantine will be done only in Maharashtra for three countries,” he said.