New Delhi: Following the steps of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Delhi and West Bengal on Wednesday made it mandatory for passengers from Kerala to produce negative COVID-19 reports upon arrival.
While West Bengal made it mandatory for passengers travelling in flights, Delhi government said people travelling in flights, trains and buses from Kerala will have to produce COVID negative test report before entering Delhi.
West Bengal has also made the certificate mandatory for people from Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana.
"In view of the rising COVID cases in the states of Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana and in continuation of earlier order issued last August, this is to inform you that the state government has decided that from February 27 noon, all passengers coming to the state from the four states shall mandatorily carry a COVID negative RT-PCR report," it said.
Necessary instructions to all the airlines would be issued in this connection, it added.
Meanwhile, Delhi officials on Wednesday said the new rule will be implemented from Friday night. They said an official order will be issued soon and it will be effective till March 15.
Apart from Kerala, Delhi government has also made the certificate mandatory for those coming from Maharashtra, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
According to sources, standard operating procedure (SOP) for those arriving from the five states is in the process of being finalized.
An official said that authorities need to take such steps to prevent any rise in COVID-19 cases in the national capital.
Maharashtra is showing a daily surge in COVID-19 cases, according to an official of the Union Health Ministry. Kerala is showing an incremental decline, but the daily cases in absolute numbers is still high over there. Punjab, with its daily increase in cases, is also a cause of worry.
Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh are also showing an increase in daily cases, the central official had said on Tuesday.
Centre rushes high level team to Kerala
Meanwhile, the Centre has deputed multi-disciplinary teams to states witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases, including Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat, Punjab, Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir, to support them in effectively tackling the pandemic.
The three-member multi-disciplinary teams are headed by joint secretary level officers in the health ministry, the Union Health Ministry said.
"These teams will work closely with the states and UT administration and ascertain reasons for the recent surge in the number of COVID-19 cases. They will also coordinate with health authorities of the states and UT for requisite COVID-19 control measures to break the chain of transmission," the ministry said.
The central teams have been deputed to Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir.
The states and UT have been advised for regular critical review of the emerging situation with district officials concerned to ensure that gains made so far in COVID-19 management are not lost, the ministry stated.
The Centre has also written to Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir which have been witnessing a rise in daily COVID cases, along with decreasing proportion of RT-PCR tests and rise in positivity in some districts.
In the letter, the Union Health Secretary has exhorted Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir to focus on undertaking aggressive measures to break the chain of transmission and to ensure that RT-PCR testing is amplified to flush out hitherto undetected cases from the population.
These states and UTs have been advised to increase testing in a focussed manner in the affected districts with the appropriate split of RT-PCR and rapid antigen tests and to also ensure that all symptomatic negatives of antigen tests are compulsorily tested via RT-PCR tests, the ministry said.
The positive persons must be promptly isolated/hospitalised, all their close contacts be traced and also tested without delay.
The Centre has reminded the states and UTs that any laxity in implementing stringent measures to curb the spread, especially in view of new strain of virus observed in certain countries, could compound the situation.
The Union Health Secretary has separately requested the chief secretaries of these 10 States and UTs to provide time to these high level Central teams to debrief the respective chief secretaries at the conclusion of their state visits.
These measures are in line with the Government of India's graded and proactive approach to contain COVID across the country.
(With PTI inputs)
