RT-PCR Negative Report for arrivals in Goa required

Goa has been pretty lacklustre in its CoVid-19 management approach and has been taking in out-of-Goa folk by the droves since the first lockdown in India opened. This has meant that Goa has been brimming with tourists over the past 6-8 months and keeping the Goan establishments in business, including the hotels and restaurants which have been teeming with people.

Amongst all this, with the high number of non-residents travelling to Goa for revelry, there were no checks imposed on them for their health. This might have meant that people might have been transmitting CoVid-19 inside Goa without even knowing themselves as asymptomatic infections. After all, most people don’t go to Goa for sitting inside a hotel room, and while I’ve not gone to Goa in the past year or so, I’ve seen pictures of all the popular spots such as Brittos and Titos being full with party-goers and so on.

With the Goa government not taking a call on this even at the height of the second wave, the High Court of Bombay at Goa decided to decide for them. While hearing a Public Interest Litigation today related to CoVid-19 today, the court has directed the Government of Goa to check for a negative RT-PCR report with effect from May 10, 2021, onwards. While the order has still not been updated on the court’s website, a local Goa news channel has confirmed this.

Update: With effect from May 10, 2021, you need to present an RT-PCR certificate with a negative report (sample collected within 72 hours of arrival), or a vaccination completion certificate (after both doses). The following exceptions will be made:

  • Residents of Goa will need to present proof of residence
  • If you are visiting Goa on work, you need to share a work ID or a letter from the employer
  • Entering for a Medical Emergency, enter in an Ambulance or show proof.

Bottomline

Goa High Court has directed the Government of Goa to not admit people into Goa (by road/train/air) without a CoVid-19 negative certificate from May 10, 2021, onwards. But if someone wanted to go to Goa now, even for their own health, they should get tested before departure. The second wave has hit Goa hard, and the hospitals don’t have much capacity to take in tourists.

Do you think Goa revelry should be subject to RT-PCR negative tests?


Liked our articles and our efforts? Please pay an amount you are comfortable with; an amount you believe is the fair price for the content you have consumed. Please enter an amount in the box below and click on the button to pay; you can use Netbanking, Debit/Credit Cards, UPI, QR codes, or any Wallet to pay. Every contribution helps cover the cost of the content generated for your benefit.

(Important: to receive confirmation and details of your transaction, please enter a valid email address in the pop-up form that will appear after you click the ‘Pay Now’ button. For international transactions, use Paypal to process the transaction.)

We are not putting our articles behind any paywall where you are asked to pay before you read an article. We are asking you to pay after you have read the article if you are satisfied with the quality and our efforts.

.

About Ajay

Ajay Awtaney is the Founder and Editor of Live From A Lounge (LFAL), a pioneering digital platform renowned for publishing news and views about aviation, hotels, passenger experience, loyalty programs, travel trends and frequent travel tips for the Global Indian. He is considered the Indian authority on business travel, luxury travel, frequent flyer miles, loyalty credit cards and travel for Indians around the globe. Ajay is a frequent contributor and commentator on the media as well, including ET Now, BBC, CNBC TV18, NDTV, Conde Nast Traveller and many other outlets.

More articles by Ajay »

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *