|HT|
The Union health ministry on Wednesday sent a letter to the Maharashtra government, urging it to align the orders given in the wake of the new coronavirus variant omicron with Centre's guidelines. The letter, signed by Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan, calls for uniform implementation of guidelines across all the states and union territories. The Centre’s letter has identified four points from Maharashtra government’s guidelines, which were issued on November 30. These are:
• Mandatory RT-PCR testing of all international travellers at the Mumbai airport, irrespective of country of origin.
• Mandatory 14-day home quarantine for all international passengers, despite being tested RT-PCR negative upon arrival• Mandatory RT-PCR test for passengers planning to undertake connecting flights after disembarking at Mumbai and further travel subject to a negative RT-PCR result
• Requirement of negative RT-PCR test 48 hours prior to date of journey, for domestic passengers travelling from other states to Maharashtra
In the letter sent to Maharashtra’s additional chief secretary, Bhushan advised that such modified orders of the state government are given wide publicity to obviate any inconvenience to travellers.
Unlike Maharashtra, the guidelines issued by the Centre are meant only for 'at-risk' countries.
The Maharashtra government had announced these guidelines on Tuesday, and said they will come into effect immediately in order to restrict the transmission of the said virus variant into the state.
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