Rapid RT-PCR test mandatory for all international passengers landing in Mumbai

Mumbai: In view of the surge in COVID-19 cases, the Mumbai civic body has made rapid RT-PCR test mandatory for all the international passengers landing at the international airport here, as per revised guidelines.

The guidelines, issued last week, were effective since Monday, an official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Tuesday. Earlier, the RT-PCR test was mandatory only for international travellers arriving from ‘countries at risk’. On Tuesday, Mumbai reported 10,860 new COVID-19 cases, up 34.37 per cent from a day ago and highest daily count since April 7, 2021, while two more patients succumbed to the infection, as per the civic body.

The BMC official said passengers testing positive for coronavirus in the rapid test will then have to undergo routine RT-PCR test, while the negative passengers will be allowed to leave, but they will need to observe mandatory home quarantine for seven days.

”All international passengers who test positive in the rapid RT-PCR test shall undergo routine RT-PCR test at the airport itself,” the revised order said.

If the routine RT-PCR test is positive, then the sample will be sent immediately for genome sequencing and the passenger will be sent to institutional quarantine.

”If this sample (routine RT-PCR) test is negative, then the passenger will be allowed to go home for mandatory home quarantine for a total period of seven days,” as per the revised guidelines.

All symptomatic passengers testing positive at the airport will be admitted to Seven Hills Hospital, while asymptomatic passengers will be admitted to the jumbo COVID-19 facilities in the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) or Kanjurmarg.

If any symptomatic passenger prefers a private hospital, he/she will be shifted to the Bombay Hospital or Breach Candy Hospital, while the asymptomatic patients with similar preference will be transferred to linked hotels at their own expense, the guidelines said.