E-Paper
Maharashtra makes negative Covid-19 report mandatory for passengers from Delhi, 5 states
The regions classified as ‘sensitive origins’ by Maharashtra are Kerala, Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi and NCR, and Uttarakhand.
The Maharashtra government on Sunday declared six regions, including Delhi-NCR, Kerala, and Gujarat as ‘sensitive origins’ as far as spread of Covid-19 is concerend and made it mandatory for rail passengers coming from these states to carry a negative RT-PCR report amid a surge of Covid-19 cases there.
The regions classified as ‘sensitive origins’ by Maharashtra are Kerala, Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi and NCR, and Uttarakhand. The people who do not have a ticket reservation will not be allowed to board the train to Maharashtra from these states.
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Maharashtra’s chief secretary Sitaram Kunte has also issued an SOP for the passengers travelling to Maharashtra from the ‘sensitive origins’: Here’s are all the rules
1. Railways shall share data of the trains that are scheduled to be running between these origins and stations of Maharashtra with the local Disaster Management Authority (DMA).
2. No unreserved ticket for Maharashtra should be issued on trains from sensitive origins. Also, passengers without a confirmed ticket should not be allowed to board for Maharashtra.
3. All passengers willing to travel to Maharashtra will need RT-PCT negative test within 48 hours of travel.
4. All passengers shall be compulsorily screened and only asymptomatic passengers shall be allowed to board the trains for Maharashtra. Social distancing should be ensured during boarding/de-boarding and travel.
5. Railways shall share the data with the local DMA of the passengers who are travelling on the said trains and who are scheduled to disembark at various stations of Maharashtra on each day at the earliest, at least four hours prior to departure from the origin. Data should contain information about all the passengers that may disembark at any station of Maharashtra. However, in some cases, this data may not be completely available and thus local authorities are advised to plan for 10% more than the expected disembarkment.
7. Railway authorities and local DMA should maintain close coordination to exchange information about delays or schedule changes of trains and about the number of passengers disembarking.
8. Railway authorities should announce on each station en-route, about systems that have been put in place so that each passenger gets informed about the rules to follow. Railway authorities may also plan printing pamphlets in Hindi/ Marathi (bi-lingual) to be distributed to all the passengers informing them of Covid Appropriate Behaviour expected and dangers to themselves and their family members if they fail to do so. These should also carry information on fines, protocols at the destination etc.
9. Railway authorities should ensure that trains from these origins come to outer platforms where it may be easier to do thermal and other checking without affecting passengers from other origins and without mixing the two. Also, wherever possible, all passengers alighting from the said trains to be guided towards a single exit.
10. After dis-embarkment, all the passengers will be queued up for screening. Passengers carrying negative RT-PCR test will undergo minimal checking like thermal scanning and symptoms checking.
For those not carrying the report, the health authorities may opt to set up Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) testing facility at the station, either through using railway, state government or private labs. Such passengers, however, should be let go only after reasonable confirmation of them being non-infected, the order read.
11. Every passenger with Covid-19 positive result or with symptoms or refusing to undergo screening shall necessarily be moved to quarantine centres. If a passenger wants to move to a hospital of choice that has bed available, DMA may allow the same.
12. All passengers without symptoms will be stamped on their hands for compulsory home quarantine for 15 days. This is required for those passengers also who are carrying negative RT-PCR test as well as who have tested negative in RAT at the station or otherwise.
13. Any person with a quarantined stamp found outside their home except for medical emergency within the period of 15 days of stamping shall be fined Rs. 1000/- and shall be moved to institutional quarantine.
14. Local authorities should plan, along with local MSRTC/local public bus transport officers about the buses that may ply to take these passengers for onward joumey.
15. Railways must ensure extra precautions are taken by their employees while serving trains from these origins.
16. Covid appropriate hehaviour in the trains we well as the stations must be enforced rigorously.
17. Railway shall appoint a nodal officer for the state level as well as various DMA levels who will be responsible for coordinating with SDMA and DMA for the purposes of these guidelines.
