Omicron Scare: Maharashtra Govt revises quarantine rules after receiving backlash

Days after announcing mandatory institutional quarantine for international passengers arriving from “countries of concern”, the Maharashtra government on Thursday afternoon, December 2, has now revised its rules amid the emergence of Omicron.

By Mumbai Live TeamCivic

Mumbai

Omicron Scare: Maharashtra Govt revises quarantine rules after receiving backlash

(Representational Image)

This development comes a day after receiving backlash from the Centre to ensure a uniform implementation of guidelines across India.

As per the latest notification, passengers from only six "ultra-risk countries" will have to undergo institutional quarantine in Maharashtra. The ultra-risk Omicron-hit countries include South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini and Lesotho.

Meanwhile, the revised airport rules of the state government that were announced exempts institutional quarantine for passengers from "at risk" nations upon arrival.

In the case of domestic air travel, travellers will either have to be fully vaccinated or compulsorily carry RT-PCR Test certificate showing negative result within 72 hours before boarding.

Guidelines for Air Passengers coming into Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/cvBGa2jjIa
— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) December 2, 2021

Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects), P Velrasu, on Thursday, then wrote a letter to the Chief Executive Officer of the Mumbai International Airport, asking that the order of the state government be complied with.

महाराष्ट्र राज्य सरकारने आंतरराष्ट्रीय आणि देशांतर्गत विमान प्रवाशांसाठी आज जाहीर केलेली सुधारित नियमावली.

Latest Guidelines issued by Government of Maharashtra for International and Domestic Air Travellers.#BMCUpdates pic.twitter.com/8823lvK1u9
— माझी Mumbai, आपली BMC (@mybmc) December 2, 2021

Besides, just a day after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued a notification making it compulsory for domestic passengers landing in Mumbai to have a negative RT-PCR test report, Municipal Commissioner, Iqbal Singh Chahal wrote another letter to the Chief Secretary.

Also Read: Omicron Scare: All You Need To Know If You’re Travelling Across Maharashtra

In this letter, Chahal proposed that those domestic passengers who are arriving in Maharashtra either have to be fully vaccinated or have a negative RT-PCR report. Apart from this, Chahal also requested the state government to proclaim an order that those passengers arriving from six “ultra-risk” countries be deboarded and sent to a compulsory seven-day quarantine.

On Wednesday, December 1, the Union Health Secretary wrote to the Maharashtra Additional Chief Secretary to “align the orders issued by the state for international arrivals at the Mumbai Airport with the norms proclaimed by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare”.

संदर्भ क्र. १ अंतर्गत भारत सरकारने जाहीर केलेली मार्गदर्शक तत्त्वं.

Guidelines issued by Government of India under Reference no. 1 pic.twitter.com/lv4zS8Qakc
— माझी Mumbai, आपली BMC (@mybmc) December 1, 2021

Under the new guidelines issued by the Union Health Ministry on November 28, passengers originating or transiting from at-risk countries will have to undergo-PCR testing post-arrival and will be required to wait for the results at the airport before leaving or taking a connecting flight.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, on December 1, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) declared that the resumption of international flight services to or from India have been delayed.

Read this story in मराठी