Maharashtra extends travel restrictions for Kerala after rise in Covid cases

The Maharashtra government has decided to extend travel restrictions for those coming from Kerala, in the state

The Maharashtra government has decided to extend travel restrictions for those coming from Kerala, in the state. It has made it mandatory for travellers to carry a Covid-negative report while entering the state.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo)

The decision on travel restrictions was taken following an observation made by a three-member team under National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), its director Dr Sujeet Singh, who was in state from Friday to Monday to take stock of the Covid-19 situation. The team pointed out that why the state is not imposing travel restrictions for travellers coming from Kerala. The team had visited Nagpur, Amravati, Akola and Yavatmal and pointed out that these areas have a high positivity rate.

Similar travel restrictions are already in place for four states — Delhi, Rajasthan, Goa and Gujarat since November 23.

With a total 983,376 cases of Covid-19, Kerala has recorded the second-highest number of Covid-19 cases across the country after Maharashtra. It still has the highest active cases — 64,346 — among all the states. On Tuesday, it recorded 5,980 cases, highest in the country. In the last one week, the number of new infections has grown by an average of 0.6% every day, according to www.covid19india.org

Around 27,826 out of every one million people in Kerala have tested positive for coronavirus, it stated.

“Following the powers conferred under Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 and the Disaster Management Act, 2005, in the capacity as chairperson, state executive committee, I hereby issue orders to extend the SOP (standard operating procedure) for all the passengers arriving in Maharashtra from the state of Kerala with immediate effect, after careful consideration of planning and containment areas and availability of health infrastructure for strict implementation by the concerned authorities,” states the order issued by the chief secretary Sanjay Kumar on Wednesday.

“The passengers travelling in flights from Kerala will have to carry RT-PCR negative test reports before boarding and will have to produce the same on landing at airports in Maharashtra. The RT-PCR sample collection should have been done within 72 hours before the scheduled time of landing at airports in the state,” said Anoop Kumar, secretary relief and rehabilitation (additional charge).

Those not having RT-PCR test reports shall have to compulsorily undergo RT-PCR test at the concerned airports at their own cost. They will be allowed to go home only after undertaking the tests. Those tested positive will have to be treated as per the existing protocol, he said.

Kumar further said, “The passengers travelling in trains will also have to produce the RT-PCR negative test report, but the collection of samples should have been done within 96 hours before the scheduled arrival. Those not having negative reports will be screened for symptoms and body temperature at the railway stations, and those having symptoms shall have to undergo antigen tests.”

Those coming by roads will have to undergo screening at border check posts. Those with symptoms will have to undergo antigen tests. If found positive, the traveller will have to be admitted to Covid centre and will have to bear the cost of the treatment, he said.

“Kerala has highest per day growth in daily Covid-19 cases and a traveller from the state has the potential of spreading the virus in Maharashtra. Considering this, we have decided to bring in travel restrictions for Kerala as a precautionary measure,” the relief and rehabilitation secretary said.