MUMBAI: Within 24 hours of the Maharashtra government introducing mandatory Covid tests for travellers from Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Goa at airports and railway stations in the state, the Centre has urged that the new rules be kept in abeyance till December 1.
The request came on Wednesday even as railway and airport authorities struggled to clear long lines of impatient passengers who crowded at exit points, waiting to be screened.
In all, 10 passengers tested positive out of the 9,779 who were screened at Mumbai Central, Bandra, Borivli, Dadar, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus as they alighted from trains coming from the four states under the scanner.
A senior bureaucrat told TOI that the Central government has made two submissions: first, defer the implementation of the guidelines till December 1; and second, instead of RT-PCR tests, use antigen kits for airline passengers as they are faster in yielding results. He said a decision would be taken “as early as possible” after consulting the Mumbai municipal commissioner.
Chief secretary Sanjay Kumar said the state has already exempted pilots and flight attendants from the RT-PCR test, and now a similar request has come from the defence ministry.