BMC issues new guidelines for international travellers, mandates rapid RT-PCR or other COVID tests

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), on Tuesday, issued fresh guidelines for international passengers arriving at the Mumbai International Airport from at-risk, high-risk countries and UAE.

BMC has said that these passengers will have to undergo rapid RT-PCR or other COVID tests compulsorily. “If tested negative, the passengers will be allowed to leave and stay under 7-day home quarantine. Those found positive to undergo institutional quarantine. The rest of the passengers who are fully vaccinated need not go for the test unless asked to do so by authorities,” said Kiran Dighavkar, Assistant Municipal Commissioner, BMC.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra reported 18,466 new COVID cases in the last 24 hours, the state health department informed on Tuesday. The cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus have gone up to 653.

There are 66,308 active cases in the state. Out of the 18,466 new COVID recorded in Maharashtra, Mumbai reported 10,860 fresh COVID cases on Tuesday. The state has witnessed 20 COVID-related deaths, while 4,558 patients have recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours.

Talking to reporters at her office in the BMC headquarters, Mayor Kishori Pednekar suggested that citizens wear triple-layer face masks while travelling in public buses and suburban trains. The mayor said BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal has been keeping a close watch on the situation, and he has already hinted at a lockdown if the daily COVID-19 cases in the city rise over 20,000.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray might address the citizens in a couple of days, she said.