Maharashtra makes state quarantine must for all travellers from 'at-risk' countries

Amid concerns caused by the Omicron variant, Maharashtra has said travellers arriving in the state from `at-risk countries’ would have to undergo mandatory seven-day institutional quarantine.

The list of `at-risk countries’ was announced by the Union government.

According to the updated list, the countries designated as ‘at-risk’ include the European countries, the UK, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel.

“Such passengers will also undergo RT-PCR test on the second, fourth and seventh day of the arrival,” the authority said in its latest guidelines.

If a passenger is found positive, he or she would be shifted to a hospital, and in case they test negative, they will have to undergo seven-day home quarantine.

Passengers from other countries than at-risk countries would have to undergo compulsory RT-PCR test at the airport. Even if found negative, they would have to undergo 14 days home quarantine, and if they test positive, the patient would be shifted to a hospital.

Also read: Omicron facts are emerging; here’s what scientists say now

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 travellers have landed in Mumbai in the last fortnight from African countries, where the more transmissible Omicron variant of coronavirus has been detected.

“Swab samples of at least 100 travellers were collected out of the 466, whose list was received so far,” Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations (BMC) Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani told PTI on Monday.

The BMC has also decided that it would impose fines on the unvaccinated people and ban them from public transport.

(With inputs from Agencies)