As cases surge across country, states tighten travel rules

Amid this exponential spike in cases, various states have imposed restrictions on interstate travel. A few states have made the RT-PCR test mandatory on arrival at airports.

Hyderabad: As coronavirus cases continue to rise alarmingly fast across India, the Covid case tally in the country crossed the 18 lakh mark with more than two lakh cases recorded in the last 24 hours. Amid this exponential spike in cases, various states have imposed restrictions on interstate travel. A few states have made the RT-PCR test mandatory on arrival at airports.

Here is the latest list of state-wise rules and restrictions for people choosing to travel by air.

New Delhi:The Delhi government has made the Aarogya Setu app mandatory along with random testing of passengers at airports arriving from high-risk states. Passengers will need to quarantine themselves for 7 days after returning. In case their result comes positive, they can continue the home quarantine or move to a hospital.

Uttar Pradesh:The state has mandated people arriving from Maharashtra and Kerala to carry a negative RT-PCR report conducted within 72 hours before arrival. They will also have to undergo a mandatory 14-day home quarantine unless they plan to leave the state within a week of arrival.

Assam: According to a new notification by the Assam health department, passengers have to undergo a compulsory paid RT-PCR test at all airports on arrival. Passengers can leave the airport after sample collection but will be subject to the condition that they will remain in quarantine till the test results arrive. The govt also requires passengers arriving from Mumbai or Bengaluru to mandatorily carry a negative RT-PCR report conducted within 72 hours before arrival.

Uttarakhand:The Uttarakhand government has also made it obligatory to carry a negative RT-PCR report for people travelling to the state from areas reported as risky. People arriving from Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Haryana, UP, Delhi, and Rajasthan travelling by road, air or train to Uttarakhand will have to carry a negative RT-PCR test report done 72 hours prior to arrival in the state.

Chandigarh: Passengers will have to register themselves on the COVA Punjab app if they plan on travelling to the Union Territory. They will also have to fill a health declaration form upon arrival and undergo thermal screening.

Rajasthan:The Rajasthan government has made RT-PCR tests mandatory for all inter-state travel - people entering the state and for those leaving the state.

Gujarat: The Gujarat government has said that a negative RT-PCR report is mandatory for those arriving in the state. People without the report will undergo a COVID-19 test on arrival at the airport and will be seated in a designated area until test results come. Passengers travelling to Surat will have to download the SMC Covid-19 Tracker app and fill an online self-reporting form.

Madhya Pradesh:Madhya Pradesh has asked passengers arriving from Maharashtra toIndore and Bhopal to carry a negative RT-PCR report not earlier than 48 hours. They also stated that the rule does not apply to arrivals from other states or UTs.

Maharashtra:Passengers arriving from Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat,Goa, and Rajasthan have to compulsorily carry a negative RT-PCR report not earlier than 72 hours. Those without the report will have to undergo COVID-19 test at the airport at their own expense.

Karnataka:Negative RT-PCR report which is not more than 72 hours old is obligatoryfor people arriving in Karnataka from Chandigarh, Kerala, Punjab, and Maharashtra.

Andhra Pradesh:People arriving in the state will have to undergo a thermal screeningon arrival. They will also need to register themselves on the Spandana website and Aarogya Setu app.

Kerala:Passengers will have to secure an e-pass by registering on the state’s Covid-19portal before travelling to Kerala. They will also need to download the Aarogya Setu app on their phone. Passengers with COVID-19 symptoms will have to take an RT-PCR test on arrival. For people travelling for business trade, court cases, or medical purposes the above-mentioned rules can be relaxed.