Some arriving passengers not tested for Covid-19 at Pune station

The Pune district administration made it clear in its guidelines, that each and every passenger coming from outside the state who does not have a Covid-negative report should undergo rapid antigen test at the Pune railway station

The Pune district administration made it clear in its guidelines, that each and every passenger coming from outside the state who does not have a Covid-negative report should undergo rapid antigen test at the Pune railway station. This test and the checking is carried by the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) health department, but currently it doesn’t seem to be happening.

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“We check passengers coming from other states to Pune railway station for the RTPCR test report. While passengers with Covid symptoms do get the rapid antigen test, not all are tested. Also, each and every passenger’s contact details is with us,” said Chandrakant Walemad, PMC health department official.

Passenger movement at the Pune railway station has increased ever since tighter curbs, and in effect, talk of the current lockdown began a month ago.

At least 10,000 passengers arrive at the Pune station, daily.

The Railways, along with PMC officials, are conducting thermal checks, but not all passengers who do not have a Covid-negative report are being given the rapid antigen test.

HT had reported how the staff deployed by the civic body is not enough to cover the large number of passengers coming in.

At any given time, a maximum of five PMC staffers are on duty at the railway station.