Allow fully vaccinated flyers enter Mumbai without RT-PCR report: BMC to state

Maharashtra tightened rules for travel into Maharashtra in May, making the RT-PCR test report, obtained 48 hours before entry into the state, mandatory after the surge in the daily Covid-19 cases across the country.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal corporation (BMC) has requested the Maharashtra government to exempt fully vaccinated domestic passengers arriving at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport from carrying RT-PCR test reports.

Delhi, Punjab and Chandigarh and other states have also said that travellers can enter without an RT-PCR test. (HT File Photo)

“The vaccination drives across the nation have commenced and many citizens who are fully vaccinated, are requesting to waive off the condition with respect to carrying negative RT-PCR test report,” BMC commissioner IS Chahal said in a letter to Maharashtra chief secretary Sitaram Kunte, according to reports.

“There are many passengers who are taking up the journey to Delhi or other business places in the morning and they are returning on the same day or the next morning, in such cases conducting RT-PCR test and getting the report becomes impossible,” Chahal said.

Maharashtra tightened rules for travel into the state in May, making the RT-PCR test report, obtained 48 hours before entry, mandatory after the surge in the daily Covid-19 cases across the country.

Delhi, Punjab and Chandigarh and other states have also said that travellers can enter without an RT-PCR test.

Meanwhile, BMC has extended Covid-19 vaccination for people travelling abroad for higher studies or work and athletes and support staff going for the Tokyo Olympics to six days. It was restricted to three days a week before this. The extension of three additional days will be applicable till August 31, the civic body said in a release.

Before this, people travelling abroad for higher studies or work and athletes bound for the Tokyo Olympics were allowed to get their Covid-19 vaccines only from Monday to Wednesday at the seven designated vaccination centres in the city and suburbs. The seven walk-in vaccination centres in Mumbai are Kasturba hospital in Chinchpokli, KEM hospital in Parel, Seven Hills hospital in Andheri East, Cooper hospital in Vile Parle West, Shatabdi hospital in Govandi, Rajawadi hospital in Ghatkopar and Dahisar Jumbo Covid-19 Centre.

People in these categories can now get their jabs on any day between Monday and Saturday, the BMC said. BMC has also reduced the gap between two doses of Covishield vaccine for students going abroad and brought it down to 28 days from 84 days.

According to BMC on Tuesday, Mumbai reported 441 new cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the lowest after February 9, and eight deaths.

Mumbai's Covid-19 tally now stands at 728,615 and its death toll 15,644, BMC data shows. The city is now left with 6,950 active cases.

Tuesday is the second consecutive day when Mumbai recorded less than 500 cases and less than 10 fatalities. Mumbai reported 478 new Covid-19 cases and nine deaths on Monday. Mumbai's average case doubling rate now stands at 925 days whereas the average growth rate of cases between July 6 to July 12 was 0.07 per cent. The case recovery rate is 96 per cent, the civic body said.