MUMBAI: Citing the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 and the Disaster Management Act, 2005; the Maharashtra government has imposed restrictions on domestic and international passengers on Thursday based on the evolving situation of the “omnicron” variant of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The “High Risk Countries” include South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe as categorised by the Indian government. Air passengers coming from these “High Risk Countries” to Maharashtra and air passengers who have visited any of these countries in the past fifteen days before arriving in Maharashtra.
“High Risk Air Passengers” across airports in Maharashtra will be deplaned on priority and will be sent for screening and verification. All such passengers will undergo RT-PCR testing at arrival following a mandatory seven-day institutional quarantine with a second RT-PCR test to be carried out after the seventh day. If the second test returns positive, the passenger will be shifted to a Covid hospital while after a negative test result, the passenger will have to undergo a further seven day quarantine at home.
Guidelines for Air Passengers coming into Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/cvBGa2jjIa
— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) December 2, 2021
As far as regular domestic travel is concerned, passengers either have to be fully vaccinated or carry a RT-PCR test certificate showing a negative result within 72 hours of boarding to enter the state.
India has confirmed two cases of Omicron variant of Coronavirus, the health ministry said on Thursday. The two cases have been found in Karnataka.
Amid rising cases of Covid-19 cases due to Omicron, India Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on Thursday said four passengers coming from ‘at-risk’ nations including three from Paris and one from London tested positive for Covid-19.
According to the WHO, the new coronavirus variant Omicron has now become dominant in South Africa and is driving a sharp increase in new infections.
8,500 new Covid infections were registered in the latest daily figures in South Africa.
Omicron has now been detected in at least 24 countries around the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Also Read: Amid Omicron Scare, Chandigarh Man Tests Positive After Return From South Africa