Karnataka, Maharashtra tighten rules at airports over new Covid-19 variants: Check details here

Here is a look at the new rules that are set to come into effect at the Bengaluru and Mumbai airports.

In view of the emergence of new variants of Covid-19 infection, the Karnataka and the Maharashtra state governments on Wednesday announced new rules for international passengers arriving at their respective states. The RT-PCR test for Covid-19 has been mandated at both the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai.

Representational image.

The announcements came as some new variants such as the Mu or B.1.621 and the C.1.2 variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have been reported in some countries and are currently being watched by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Here is a look at the new rules that have been announced in the Bengaluru and Mumbai airports.

Karnataka

The state government had earlier mandated on-arrival RT-PCR tests for passengers from countries such as the UK, Europe, Western Asian countries (Middle East), South Africa and Brazil. However, from now, passengers from six more countries, namely Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand and Zimbabwe, have also been added to this list.

Passengers from these countries would have to take a RT-PCR test at the airports irrespective of a similar negative certificate that they would already be carrying. They are allowed to leave the airport without having to wait for their results. The rule is applicable at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru and other air entry points into the state.

However, passengers from Brazil and South Africa are expected to undergo the test and can leave the airport only if tested negative. The UK, Europe and western Asian nations were added to this list according to a similar order previously on August 24.

Maharashtra

The Maharashtra government has said that a self-paid RT-PCR test on arrival at the Mumbai international airport would be compulsory from September 3, 2021 for all international passengers from or transiting through the UK, Europe, western Asian countries, South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand and Zimbabwe. Flyers from other countries can produce a negative certificate not older than 72 hours and can exit the airport, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said.

Further, all exemptions provided earlier for those fully vaccinated and people above 65 years of age would not be applicable from Sep 3.

“All passengers shall have to submit their self-declaration form and undertaking to officers deployed at the Mumbai Airport and shall be mandatorily subjected to 14 days home quarantine,” the BMC said in its order.