The Delhi government will soon make it mandatory for those arriving from five states (Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhatisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Punjab) to carry a negative COVID-19 test report.
The decision is being taken due to a surge in coronavirus cases in the five states. People travelling to Delhi from these states by flights, trains or buses will have to show a negative RT-PCR test from February 27 to March 15. However, for the time being, those travelling by road have been exempted.
Reports say that in the past week, 86 per cent of new coronavirus cases have been reported from these five. Sources said that this has prompted the Delhi government to make the new rule.
Moreover, officers in these states will verify COVID-19 negative reports from tests taken up to 72 hours before boarding a flight and allowing passengers to leave for Delhi.
Similar restrictions for people travelling from these states have been announced in other states as well, including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand.
Meanwhile, in Maharashtra, where COVID-19 cases account for close to a fifth of the country's total caseload, the state government has announced a state-wide ban on social, political and religious gathering. Local lockdown or curbs have also been imposed in districts such as Pune and Nagpur, and a complete week-long lockdown in Amravati.
