Travel guidelines for Bhopal: Air travellers should undergo COVID-19 test or present recent report

Bhopal, Dec 1: The international air travellers arriving at the Raja Bhoj Airport in Bhopal have to undergo an RT-PCR test for COVID-19 detection, officials said.

In view of rising Covid-19 cases and over the fears of the spread of new variant Omnicron, health officials have been directed by Divisional Commissioner Gulshan Bamra to check the recent RT-PCR test reports of all passengers, domestic or international, coming to the Airport in Bhopal.

The government has reportedly made an arrangement to collect samples of all international passengers arriving at the airport and the same arrangement is in place for domestic travellers.

Likewise, the authorities have been asked to conduct random RT-PCR tests at bus stands and railway stations. The travellers will only be allowed to enter the city after mandatorily undergoing tests if they do not carry recent RT-PCR tests.

On Tuesday, the COVID-19 tally in Madhya Pradesh rose to 7,93,170 with an addition of 20 fresh cases in the state, including 14 in Bhopal. Of total cases in the state, 7,82,523 have recovered while 10,528 succumbed to the infection. The state is now left with 119 active COVI-19 cases, as per official data.

Unlike other major cities, Bhopal has not issued stringent guidelines for air travellers landing in Bhopal.

In Mumbai, air travellers arriving at the airport from "at risk" countries should undergo a mandatory seven-day institutional quarantine. If travellers test positive, they will be shifted to a designated hospital.

Even if passengers test negative, they will be put on quarantine. People arriving from other countries will have to undergo RT-PCR test.

In Bengaluru as well, not just from "at risk" countries, but all the international travellers should undergo testing on arrival. The authorities have made seven days compulsory quarantine for international travellers and they will have to undergo tests after seven days again.