Visitors’ entry barred at Vijayawada airport,inter-state passengers to undergo tests

VIJAYAWADA: In view of surge in Covid-19 cases, the State government has imposed severe curbs at Gannavaram Airport from Tuesday.

Entry of all types of visitors into the airport has been barred with immediate effect. Further, Rapid Antigen Tests will be conducted on passengers coming from other States and if they test positive, they will be shifted to quarantine centres.

“We have decided not to allow visitors into the airport keeping in mind the spike in Covid cases. Such restrictions were in force during the first Covid wave. As a precautionary measure, the restrictions have been implemented at the airport again from today,” Krishna District Collector Imtiaz Ahmed told TNIE.

Only the passenger and the car driver will be allowed into airport premises. If others accompany them, they will be stopped at the main entrance to the airport.

“Though we are not having any direct international flights operated from Vijayawada, as per the government instructions all the passengers coming from different States, particularly from States where Covid-19 is rampant, confirmation tests are being conducted besides thermal screening on their arrival,” explained G Madhusudhan Rao, Director of Gannavaram Airport.

Some states large insisting on Covid negative report for those entering the States. Hence, the airlines operators are checking the certificates. Only after getting confirmed that they are in order, the airlines are issuing boarding passes, he added.