Mumbai: Compulsory RT-PCR test at airport for passengers arriving from Europe, China, says BMC

Passengers from UK, Middle East, South Africa, Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe also need to get the test done at the airport at their own cost. This is in wake of discovery of a new strain of coronavirus

Covid-19 RT-PCR test is made mandatory for travellers arriving at the international airport here from select countries such as the UK, Middle East, Brazil and China, from September 3, the Mumbai civic body said on Wednesday.

It said passengers arriving from or transiting through the UK, Europe, Middle East, South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand and Zimbabwe will have to undergo paid RT-PCR tests after they land at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International airport.

Other passengers (excluding the above countries), who have to exit the airport or board connecting flights, will have to show the RT-PCR negative report conducted within 72 hours of their journey, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) stated.

Also Read: Daily testing increased due to surge in Covid-19 cases in Mumbai: BMC

"RT-PCR tests will not be mandatory for such passengers on arrival at the Mumbai airport from 12 am on September 3," it said.

All passengers will have to submit their self-declaration forms and undertakings to officers deployed at the airport and will have to undergo 14-day home quarantine.

In view of new mutations, pax arriving at Mumbai Airport from UK, Europe, Middle East, South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe shall be mandatorily subjected to self-paid RTPCR Test on arrival. pic.twitter.com/XY8dKKRBUx

— माझी Mumbai, आपली BMC (@mybmc) September 1, 2021

The civic body further stated that the steps are being taken based on the Centre's guidelines because of the detection of more transmissible variants of coronavirus.

The airport operator has already made arrangements for conducting RT-PCR tests and registration at the airport, for which passengers will have to pay Rs 600, the release stated, adding the airport can conduct 600 tests per day.

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