BMC mandates international passengers from high-risk countries to undergo COVID test at Mumbai airport

Amid rising concerns over the new covid variant, Omicron, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday mandated all international passengers from at-risk and high-risk countries and UAE arriving at Mumbai International Airport to undergo rapid RT-PCR or other COVID tests.

Mumbai (Maharashtra):Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday mandated all international passengers from at-risk and high-risk countries and UAE arriving at Mumbai International Airport to undergo rapid RT-PCR or other COVID tests.

"If tested negative, the passengers will be allowed to leave and stay under 7-day home quarantine. Those found positive to undergo institutional quarantine. The rest of the passengers who are fully vaccinated need not go for the test unless asked to do so by authorities," said Kiran Dighavkar, Assistant Municipal Commissioner, BMC.

Maharashtra reported 18,466 new COVID cases in the last 24 hours, the state health department informed on Tuesday. The cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus have gone up to 653.

There are 66,308 active cases in the state. Out of the 18,466 new COVID recorded in Maharashtra, Mumbai reported 10,860 fresh COVID cases on Tuesday.

The state has witnessed 20 COVID-related deaths, while 4,558 patients have recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours.

ANI