PANAJI
Days after Health Minister openly batted for adopting SOPs like those of the Maharashtra government in Goa, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the Covid situation in the State was under control and there was no need for any stringent SOPs like the ones imposed in the neighbouring State.
"The Maharashtra SOPs say that even if the person is symptomatic, the person will be subjected to an antigen test. How can that work? If a person is symptomatic, the person will have to undergo an RT-PCR test. Only then can a person be successfully segregated or else it will be of no use," said Sawant.
Maharashtra has now laid down a requirement of an RT-PCR Covid negative certificate for travellers entering the State from four States.
According to Maharashtra’s SOPs for domestic air travel, all domestic passengers travelling from airports in Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Goa shall carry a RT-PCR negative test report not older than 72 hours validity at the time of boarding. Those who do not have such a report will have to undergo a mandatory RT-PCR test upon arrival at airports in Maharashtra at their own cost.
Similarly, all passengers travelling to Maharashtra by trains originating or having a halt at stations in Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Goa shall carry an RT-PCR negative test report before they decide to enter Maharashtra. Samples for such testing should have been done within 96 hours before the scheduled arrival in Maharashtra. Passengers not carrying RT-PCR negative report will be screened for symptoms and body temperature upon arrival.
Those travelling to Maharashtra from these four states by road will be screened at the border for symptoms of Covid-19. Passengers with symptoms will be segregated and made to undergo an antigen test.
