Mumbai: BMC chief writes to state govt, seeks exemption from RT-PCR test for fully vaccinated domestic passengers

MUMBAI: The

BMC

commissioner

Iqbal Singh Chahal

in a letter sent to chief secretary of Maharashtra on Tuesday has sought exemption from the

RT-PCR

test for fully vaccinated domestic passengers.

As per the current directives, any passenger arriving in the state by any mode of transport is required to carry a negative RT-PCR test conducted 48 hours prior to commencing the journey.

Chahal, however, in his letter said that vaccination drives across the nation have commenced and many citizens who are fully vaccinated, are requesting to waive off the condition with respect to carrying negative RT-PCR test report.

"There are many passengers who are taking up a journey to Delhi or other business places in the morning and they are returning back on the same day in the evening or next day morning, in such case conducting the RT-PCR test and getting the report becomes impossible. In view of the above, the domestic passengers who are fully vaccinated may be exempted from carrying negative RT PCR test report while arriving in the city of Mumbai," said Chahal in the letter.

After the outbreak of the

Covid-19

pandemic and due to the increasing number of Covid patients positive cases the state government had on May 12 this year imposed restrictions on domestic passengers arriving in the state.

These restrictions were primarily imposed on the passengers arriving from Gujarat, Goa, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Kerala, however, due to the increased number of cases, it was decided to impose restrictions on all the passengers into Mumbai from any part of the country.