Last year, I wrote about Maharashtra considering a move to ban travel from Delhi to Mumbai temporarily, given the huge rise in cases of CoVid-19 in Delhi. However, it seems that this was seen as a very extreme move, and Maharashtra did not go through with. However, Maharashtra government guidelines for inter-state travel mandated that anyone travelling into Maharashtra from Delhi, Goa, Gujarat and Rajasthan need to be evaluated for CoVid-19 before arrival inside the state since late November 2020.

Now, Maharashtra has decided to add Kerala to the list of states which will need a test before you arrive into Maharashtra. This is on account of the increased number of CoVid-19 cases being reported from Kerala. Here is what the earlier Maharashtra Government guidelines for inter-state travel read:

Domestic Air Travel

1. All domestic passengers travelling from airports in Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Goa shall carry RT-PCR negative test report with them before boarding and show it to the teams at the arrival airport. The Airports Authority of India is requested to check for the report before allowing the passengers to board the flight.
2. The RT-PCR sample collection should have been done within 72 hours of the scheduled time of landing at Airports in Maharashtra.
3. Passengers not having the RT-PCR test reports fulfilling conditions above in 1 and 2, shall compulsorily undergo RT-PCR test at the concerned airports, at their own cost. The Airport shall ring the testing centres and charge the passengers directly for testing.
4. Only after undertaking the test, the passengers will be allowed to go home by Airport Operator. The Contact information and address shall be collected from all passengers who undergo tests at the airport by Airport operator to facilitate contact, in case the test report comes positive.
5. Passengers whose report comes positive will be contacted and treated as per the existing protocol.
6. The concerned Municipal Commissioners will be the Nodal Officers for the same and ensure that the above instructions are followed strictly.

Railways

1. All passengers travelling to Maharashtra by trains originating or having halt/stop at stations in Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Goa shall carry with them RT-PCR negative test report before they decide to enter Maharashtra.
2. The RT-PCR sample collection should have been done within 96 hours before the scheduled arrival in Maharashtra.
3. Passengers not having the RT-PCR test negative report shall be screened for symptoms and body temperature at the railway stations.
4. The passengers without symptoms would be allowed to go home.
5. Passengers who display symptoms shall be segregated and made to undergo Antigen test. If the Antigen test comes negative, the passengers will be allowed to go home.
6. Passengers found COVID-19 positive, shall be sent to COVID Care Centre (CCC) for further care. The cost of further care, including CCC, shall be borne by the passenger themselves.
7. The concerned Municipal Commissioners/District Collectors will be the Nodal Officers for the same and ensure that the above instructions are followed strictly.

Road Travel

1. The concerned District Collectors of land border districts shall make arrangements to ensure that the passengers coming from the NCR of Delhi, States of Rajasthan Gujarat and Goa shall be tested for symptoms including body temperature.
2. The passengers without symptoms will be allowed entry: Passengers with symptoms shall have the option of turning back and go to their home to recuperate.
3. Passengers who display symptoms shall be segregated and made to undergo Antigen Test. If the Antigen test comes negative, the passengers will be allowed to travel further into Maharashtra.
4. Passengers not testing/found COVID-19 positive shall be sent to COVID Care Centre (CCC) for further care. The cost of further care, including CCC, shall be borne by the passenger.

You can download a copy of the earlier notification here. Here is the notification adding Kerala to this list.

After a botched up start of sorts, I think the system has now stabilised and for those who can’t get a test done on departure, now can get tested on arrival. In Mumbai, I’ve also heard of people getting their reports in 8-10 hours now, after the initial days where they wouldn’t get it at all sometimes.

Bottomline

Maharashtra’s Government has mandated that before you land in Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune or one of the other airports in Maharashtra, you will need to be tested for CoVid-19 and have a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours before arriving in Maharashtra.  Road and Rail travel has similar notifications. This is now valid for travel from Delhi, Kerala, Gujarat, Goa and Rajasthan.

What do you make of the new Maharashtra Government guidelines for inter-state travel?

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