Mumbai: Taking a cue from the governments of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi governments, who have made negative RT-PCR test reports compulsory for those coming from Maharashtra, within the state itself, district collectors have prohibited inter-district and inter-state movement.
Marathwada borders are off-limits for people from Vidarbha, where the spike has been drastic, especially in Yavatmal, Akola, Amravati, Buldana and Washim districts. Special checkposts have been set up to curb entry, to avoid spurt in infection. Similar checkposts have been set up at the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana borders.
State transport bus services from Marathwada to Vidarbha have been suspended till further orders.
Similarly, the Solapur district administration has issued an advisory making negative RT-PCR test reports mandatory for those coming from Karnataka and other states.
“Considering the increasing onslaught of the contagion in Vidarbha, the district borders in Marathwada have been sealed. On the Yavatmal border adjacent to Nanded district, the borders for neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have been sealed, to curb the entry of people. Checkposts have been set up on the borders,’’ said a senior official from the home department.
He said the antigen tests have been made mandatory at the checkposts in the border areas of Yavatmal and Nanded districts.
In Vidarbha, Parbhani District Collector Deepak Mugalikar has banned all private and public transport to and from Vidarbha.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has directed the Nagpur and Amravati divisional commissioners to increase vigil, step up tracing, tracking and testing to curb the spread of the virus. The district administration has been delegated powers to enforce stringent curbs under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
The move by the district collectors of Vidarbha and Marathwada comes after Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi have made it mandatory for people from Maharashtra to show negative test reports before being allowed to enter. The Madhya Pradesh government has announced thermal checking at checkpoints for all those, especially religious tourists entering the state.
Minister of State for Home Satej Patil has warned that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government may take some more stringent steps to curb the entry of people from Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.