Covid-19: Gujarat, MP to screen select inter-state travellers at borders

Maharashtra and Karnataka were the first two states to impose restrictions on people travelling from other states to arrest the sudden rise in the number of Covid-19 infections. Now, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh too have decided to keep an eye on those who are coming from neighbouring states — especially by roads.

In the peak of the Covid-19 wave in 2020, several states closed borders with neighbouring states where the infection was spreading faster.

Apart from Maharashtra and Kerala — the largest contributors to India's daily caseload of Covid-19 — Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, J&K, Chhattisgarh are reporting a higher number of cases.

Karnataka has mandated a negative RT-PCR report for people travelling from Maharashtra and Kerala. Maharashtra, on the other hand, has made negative RT-PCR mandatory if one is travelling from Gujarat, Delhi-NCR, Goa, Rajasthan and Kerala.

Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh has decided to up the border vigil as many devotees from Maharashtra visit Madhya Pradesh crossing the border by road on the occasion of Mahashivratri. It has been decided that people coming to Madhya Pradesh from Maharashtra will be subjected to mandatory thermal screening.

Madhya Pradesh had hit the peak with over 2,000 daily cases in September 2020, which gradually subsided. But since the past one week, the state is reporting more than 200 Covid-19 cases daily.

Gujarat

Gujarat has decided to set up border check posts to screen people coming from neighbouring states, including Maharashtra, especially on roads.

Apart from setting up border check posts at entry points, the state government has also decided to start screening passengers arriving at major railway stations like Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot and Bhavnagar from different parts of the country by trains.

Screening booths will also be created at all the major airports of Gujarat.

On Monday, Gujarat registered 315 new Covid-19 cases — with Ahmedabad reporting 72, the highest, followed by Vadodara, 66, Surat 52 and Rajkot 42.