Mumbai: Airport rapid RT-PCR test now for 13 per cent less at Rs 3,900

MUMBAI: Based on the countries they have flown in from, passengers arriving at the airport are now segregated for further testing, keeping in line with the latest central government norms issued to track the Omicron variant.
The good news for passengers who need to undergo a rapid RT-PCR test is that the airport has reduced the rate from Rs 4,500 to Rs 3,900. The new rates came into effect on Saturday.
On Friday, 6,732 international passengers landed at the airport. Out of this, 969 international arrival passengers underwent the RT-PCR test, of which 214 passengers took the standard RT-PCR test and 755 passengers opted for the rapid PCR test, said the MIAL.
Passengers arriving from countries identified by the government as “at-risk”, such as United Kingdom, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Brazil, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel, are deboarded on priority to undergo a PCR test on arrival, said the MIAL.
Dedicated corridors and counters have been created for these passengers, said the airport. “The passengers are required to wait for their test results before leaving or taking a connecting flight,” said the MIAL.
But those arriving from South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe or passengers who have visited any of these three countries in the last 15 days before arrival in Maharashtra have to undergo a mandatory week-long hotel quarantine after undergoing an RT-PCR test at the airport. A second test needs to be done at the end of the quarantine period. If tested negative, they can leave but have to undergo another week of home quarantine.
Travellers from countries excluding those at risk are allowed to leave the airport. They need to self-monitor for 14 days post arrival. But a small percentage (2% of the total flight passengers) of these are required to undergo an RT-PCR test post-arrival at random at the airport.
“The 2% of such travellers in each flight are identified by the airlines concerned (preferably passengers from different countries). Such travellers are escorted by the airline to RT-PCR testing area on arrival,” said MIAL.
“Children under 5 years of age are exempted from both pre- and post-arrival testing. However, if found symptomatic for Covid on arrival, they shall undergo testing and [be] treated as per laid down protocol,” said MIAL.
The MIAL said it has set up 100 registration counters and 60 sampling booths, including 100 rapid PCR machines. If any of the PCR tests are positive, the BMC or state authorities move the passenger concerned to a Covid treatment facility. The samples of such passengers are also collected for genomic sequencing.