Passengers flying to Mumbai, Maharashtra, who have received both the shots of COVID-19 vaccine will no longer need to carry negative RT-PCR test reports, the government said on Tuesday.
Amid rising COVID-19 cases during the deadly second wave in the country, the Maharashtra government had in May imposed restrictions on domestic passengers and asked them to carry a report of negative RT-PCR test conducted 48 hours prior to their journey.
However, as coronavirus cases continue to decline, Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai Iqbal Singh Chahal on Tuesday issued a directive exempting fully vaccinated people to enter the city through the Mumbai airport.
In a letter to Maharashtra chief secretary, Mr Chahal said: "There are many passengers who are taking up 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."
He said since the vaccination drive started across the country, many vaccinated people have been requesting to waive off the condition of carrying the negative Covid report.
"In view of above, the domestic passengers who are fully vaccinated may be exempted from carrying negative RT-PCR test report while arriving in Mumbai," the official added.
The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has exceeded 38.50 crore, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday. It said 15,49,982 beneficiaries in the 18-44 age group were administered the first dose while 1,19,121 were given the second dose on Tuesday.
Overall, 11,59,50,619 people in the 18-44 age group across all states and union territories have received the first dose and 40,19,089 have received the second dose since the start of Phase-3 of the vaccination drive on May 1.
India's COVID-19 death count has climbed to 4,10,784 with 2,020 new deaths recorded after Madhya Pradesh reconciled its fatality data, while 31,443 new coronavirus cases were reported on Tuesday, the lowest in 118 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data. India's total tally of COVID-19 cases now stands at 3,09,05,819.
Maharashtra reported 7,603 new coronavirus case and 53 fatalities on Monday, taking the tally of infections to 61,65,402 and the death count to 1,26,024, a health department official said.
Experts have repeatedly warned against complacency to prevent a third wave of the coronavirus. While most parts of the country have seen a steady decline in the COVID-19 numbers, the northeast region has been a cause of concern with the number of cases either rising or not falling in line with the nationwide trend, experts have noted.
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