Passengers travelling to Maharashtra from Kerala, Goa, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and NCR region and Uttarakhand will need a negative RT-PCR report of test conducted within 48 hours of their train travel.

Under the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 and The Disaster Management Act 2005, the government has declared these six States as places of “sensitive origin” in an effort to stop the influx of other variants of coronavirus into the State.

State Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte in an order issued on Sunday, stated that the order will remain in force throughout the State from Sunday till the time it is retracted or till Covid-19 stays notified as a disaster.

The State has issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) for passengers from the six States of sensitive origin. The SOP states that thermal scanners should be made available at entry and exit points at all railway stations. “Railways shall share data of the trains that are scheduled to be running between these origins (six States) and stations of Maharashtra with local Disaster Management Authority (DMA) the order states.”

According to the SOP, each traveller will be screened after disembankment and passengers with negative RT-PCR test will undergo minimal checking like thermal scanning and symptoms checking.

“As, despite all effort by Railways, some passengers may not carry negative RT-PCR test, to the extent possible Disaster Management Authority (DMA) may set up Rapid Antigen Testing facility as the station” the orders stated. Every passenger with a positive result of the test or with symptoms or refusing to undergo screening shall necessarily be moved to quarantine centres or hospitals.

All passengers without symptoms and without needing to be moved to quarantine centres shall be stamped on their hands for compulsory home quarantine for 15 days.

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