Travelling to Delhi? Ensure you have a negative RT-PCR report

Travelling to Delhi? Ensure you have a negative RT-PCR report

Jamal.Ayub@timesgroup.com

Bhopal:25.02.2021 

Travelling to Delhi from Madhya Pradesh? From Friday, those travelling to Delhi from MP would need a negative RT-PCR report to enter India’s capital city. On Wednesday, the Delhi government made the test mandatory for travellers from Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. The directive would be valid until March15.

Travel plans of many people planning to come to MP and then go to Delhi are expected to be postponed or cancelled. MP’s positivity rate has also increased in the past week. Government officials going to Delhi for official work would also have to undergo the mandatory test.

MP is amongst 12 states that, in the last one week, have reported more than100 average daily new cases. During the past week, 270 average daily new cases were reported in MP. The state ranks seventh in the tally of 12, after Gujarat (287), Punjab (356), Karnataka (396), TN (449), Kerala (4,135) and Maharashtra (5,858) in the average daily new cases over the past one week.

The Delhi government’s announcement came as a surprise to many in MP’s health department. The announcement came less than 12 hours after the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said ruled out direct relation between the surge in cases in Maharashtra and some other states and mutant strains, N440K and E484Q.

ICMR DG, Dr Balram Bhargava, clarified that these two virus strains have been detected in other countries too and are not specific to India. Moreover, they have been found earlier in some states in India.

The new rule will come into effect from February 26