nIn line with the Maharashtra Government’s directive making it mandatory for passengers arriving in airports in Maharashtra to carry RT-PCR negative reports with them or undergo tests at the airport, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai has created a dedicated zone for domestic passengers arriving from Delhi, Goa, Gujarat and Rajasthan who are required to undergo the RT-PCR test upon arrival at the airport.
“Passengers will be directed to the test zone located near the baggage carousel to undertake the test before exiting the airport,” a statement released by CSMIA said here on Thursday evening.
“In keeping with the latest edict from the State of Maharashtra, passengers arriving at CSMIA from Delhi, Goa, Gujarat and Rajasthan are required to provide proof of a negative RT-PCR test prior to boarding their flight or undertake the test upon arrival at Mumbai,” the statement said.
“Since the implementation of the new directive from November 25, CSMIA has tested over 200 passengers who have arrived from these earmarked regions, of which none have tested positive for COVID-19,” the statement said.
The break-up of flights that arrive in Mumbai airport is as follows: Goa 12, Gujarat 15, Rajasthan 11 and Delhi 26.
“The Airport has capacity of conducting 3000 RT PCR tests a day and it can be scaled up to 5000. The Airport began offering RT PCR tests for domestic and international passengers from Sept 6. Till November 10, 8000 passengers had used the facility and 100 were found positive. We offer the RT PCR test at the price of Rs 1400 per test,” CSMIA spokesperson said.
It may be recalled that amid a fear of a second Covid-19 wave gripping Maharashtra in the wake of increasing incidence of Covid-19 New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Surat, the Maharashtra government had on November 23 put in place a mechanism to prevent the passengers carrying Covid-19 virus from entering Maharashtra from Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Goa.
In a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued on Monday, the Maharashtra government said: “The Airport Authority of India is requested to check for RT-PCR test report before allowing the passengers to board the flight. The RT-PCR sample collection should have been done within 72 hours of the scheduled time of landing at airports in Maharashtra “.
According to the SOP, passengers not having RT-PCR test reports fulfilling the two primary requisites shall compulsorily undergo RT-PCR tests at the airports concerned “at their own costs”. The airports shall arrange the testing centres and charge the passengers directly for testing.
“Only after undertaking the test, the passengers will be allowed to go home by the Airport operator. The contact information and address shall be collected from all passengers who undergo tests at the airport by the Airport Operator to facilitate contact, in case the report comes positive.
“Passengers whose test report comes positive will be contacted and treated as per existing protocols,” the SOP stated.