Negative RT-PCR test mandatory for fliers from at least four states

teamKolkata: Bengal government makes negative RT-PCR report mandatory for the passengers flying down to the city from states like Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana.

The decision has been taken by the state government in the wake of the rising number of Covid cases in those states.

Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs department HK Dwivedi on Wednesday has written to the Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation stating that the State government has already decided that 12 pm on February 27 all the passengers coming to the state from these four states have to mandatorily carry a Covid negative RT-PCR report. The passengers must have taken the test within 72 hours from the departure of the flight. The decision has been taken in view of the increasing trend of Covid cases in these states, mentions the letter.

These states have been witnessing a surge in coronavirus cases starting from February after following a declining trend.

On Tuesday, the country recorded 10,584 new coronavirus cases with 13,255 recoveries and 78 deaths, as per the data provided by the Union health ministry.

According to data, around six states have been contributing to more than 84 per cent of the coronavirus caseload with Maharashtra and Kerala at the top. This has prompted many states to impose some restrictions to curb the infection. The Maharashtra government has decided to impose lockdown in some parts. Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh has restricted public gatherings from March 1 while Madhya Pradesh has also decided to ban protests and public gatherings.

The infection rate has dropped in Bengal in the past few weeks. Hence the state government is not ready to take any risks and therefore made the RT-PCR negative report mandatory for inward passengers from these most affected states. Bengal in the past 24 hours has witnessed 202 fresh cases.