Skip RT-PCR for travellers with full vaccination: Government to states | India News – Times of India
PUNE: The tourism ministry has urged states and Union territories to do away with RT-PCR tests for fully vaccinated people who opt for inter-state travel and show their certificates upon arrival. “The ministry on Wednesday sent a written communication to state secretaries, urging states/UTs to adopt a uniform travel protocol during Covid,” Rupinder Brar, additional director general, tourism ministry, told TOI.
On August 9, tourism minister G Kishan Reddy told Lok Sabha: “The ministry has requested states/UTs to double vaccinated passengers from carrying RT-PCR reports at the time of inter-state travel.”
As of now, some states allow fully vaccinated travellers to enter without negative RT-PCR reports. But states such as West Bengal (for travellers from Mumbai, Pune and Chennai), Karnataka, Goa, Chhattisgarh ask for mandatory RT-PCR negative reports irrespective of the travellers’ double vaccination status.
Brar said the ministry was trying to convince all states to adopt the uniform protocol — not to mandate the RT-PCR tests for the fully vaccinated travellers who provide their final vaccination certificates. The ministry had a meeting with representatives of the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality and all state governments on August 5, with discussions mainly focusing on harmonisation of travel protocols during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“States such as Sikkim and Maharashtra are allowing travellers from other parts of the country on the basis of full vaccination and not on RT-PCR test reports. In principle, all the states that were part of the meeting had agreed that this was a logical option,” said Brar. The ministry will also hold a meeting with health and and civil aviation ministries to gauge how the uniform protocol could be taken ahead and more relaxations could be worked out for the travellers.
On August 9, tourism minister G Kishan Reddy told Lok Sabha: “The ministry has requested states/UTs to double vaccinated passengers from carrying RT-PCR reports at the time of inter-state travel.”
As of now, some states allow fully vaccinated travellers to enter without negative RT-PCR reports. But states such as West Bengal (for travellers from Mumbai, Pune and Chennai), Karnataka, Goa, Chhattisgarh ask for mandatory RT-PCR negative reports irrespective of the travellers’ double vaccination status.
Brar said the ministry was trying to convince all states to adopt the uniform protocol — not to mandate the RT-PCR tests for the fully vaccinated travellers who provide their final vaccination certificates. The ministry had a meeting with representatives of the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality and all state governments on August 5, with discussions mainly focusing on harmonisation of travel protocols during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“States such as Sikkim and Maharashtra are allowing travellers from other parts of the country on the basis of full vaccination and not on RT-PCR test reports. In principle, all the states that were part of the meeting had agreed that this was a logical option,” said Brar. The ministry will also hold a meeting with health and and civil aviation ministries to gauge how the uniform protocol could be taken ahead and more relaxations could be worked out for the travellers.
