Domestic fliers don’t need RT-PCR in Maha

The move comes after the Union health ministry asked state to “align” its orders with the union govt’s guidelines

MUMBAI : A day after the Maharashtra government issued orders for stricter air travel curbs to contain the spread of the new Covid-19 variant Omicron, state health minister Rajesh Tope said that it has deferred the point mandating negative RT-PCR test 48 hours prior to entering Maharashtra for domestic travellers.

This move came after the Union health ministry asked the state government to “align” its orders with the Union government’s guidelines. The state government, however, is not going to scale down its orders, which includes seven-day institutional quarantine and compulsory RT-PCR for all international passengers.

A letter dated December 1 from Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan to the additional chief secretary (health) Dr Pradeep Vyas said that the state’s order was in “divergence” with the guidelines issued by the Centre.

“At present, we have deferred the clause which mandated negative RT-PCR tests for domestic passengers. I don’t think there is any logic in keeping this clause...i think we have to fall in line with the Union government guidelines,” Tope told HT.

Maharashtra chief secretary Debashish Chakrabarty, who signed the order on Tuesday, said that the Centre’s letter was an “advisory” and that the Centre’s guidelines can’t restrict the state from including additional conditions. Chakrabarty said that the Centre’s advisory would be “considered as would be required in the context of a specific situation in the state.”

“We have received a letter from the Union health secretary which is an advisory that says we should modify our orders in accordance with directions of the Government of India. It is an advisory but that does not prevent the state government to include certain conditions which may be necessary for the containment of the new variant,” Chakrabarty told HT.

Senior bureaucrats said that Dr Vyas is expected to respond to the letter stating that the orders issued by the state were in accordance with the Centre’s guidelines.

Meanwhile, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in a circular on Wednesday said the Maharashtra government’s order making institutional quarantine of one week compulsory for all international passengers from risk countries landing in Mumbai, will be effective from 11.59pm of December 2, 2021 (Thursday night). However, all international fliers will still have to undertake mandatory and selfpaid RT-PCR tests at the airport upon arrival, effectively immediately. BMC has decided to give a window of two days for all international fliers before implementing the state guidelines for the sake of travellers.