As the new variant of Covid-19, Omicron spiking up recently, the Maharastra government-induced new travelling restrictions for all the domestic passengers flying from other cities to Mumbai must have a negative result of RT-PCR test within 72 hours of departure.

The Government also directed all the domestic airlines not to board passengers for landing in Mumbai without a negative T-PCR test within 72 hours of departure. In exceptional cases like family distress, says the statement, testing may be allowed on arrival at the Mumbai airport.

It has been noted that, in Maharastra, as many as six passengers from high-risk countries have tested positive for coronavirus so far. As one of them is from Mumbai, the BMC has tightened measures. The civic body said passengers can be exempted from the RT-PCR report rule only in exceptional cases like family distress, and the testing may be allowed on arrival at the airport in Mumbai.

As per the Centre’s guidelines, the passengers arriving from the “risk” countries specified in the circular will have to undergo a self-paid post-arrival COVID-19 test at the port of arrival, the civic body said. The BMC also said that the Maharashtra government’s directives “shall become operational from 23:59 hours of December 2, 2021”.

In the latest guidelines, the Maharashtra government has specified that the passengers coming from “risk countries” shall compulsorily undergo institutional quarantine for one week and take RT-PCR tests on the 2nd, 4th and 7th-day post-arrival.