COVID-19: Travellers coming from UAE in Mumbai to be exempted from home quarantine, RT-PCR

In a recent update to COVID restrictions in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued a statement that all international passengers arriving from UAE, including Dubai, in the city are now exempted from the compulsory seven-day home quarantine. It is further learnt that even the RT-PCR test is not mandatory on arrival. 

Earlier on January 7, the Centre had released the list of ‘at-risk’ countries from where travellers would need to follow additional measures on arrival in India, including post-arrival testing. The list of countries was updated regularly based on the COVID situation in the countries including the spread of the new Coronavirus variant, Omicron. 

The Centre also announced that all international travellers arriving in India will have to undergo seven days of mandatory home quarantine. This will be effective from January 11. According to an official statement, passengers travelling from 'at-risk' countries will be tested for COVID-19 at the airport before being quarantined and later on the 8th day, they will have to undergo an RT-PCR test. 

BMC to track home test kit purchases

Earlier on Wednesday, January 12, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had stated that it will write to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and seek guidelines for chemists in the city concerning the sale of COVID self-test kits and documenting the data of the same.  

The BMC aims to gather information from the individuals who purchased the kits from the data available with chemists. This comes after a large population of positive cases went unreported. It is learnt that people who test positive for COVID are not revealing their status after using self-test kits. 

COVID situation in Maharashtra

As of Sunday, January 16, Maharashtra has reported 41,327 new COVID cases and 29 deaths in the last 24 hours. And with this, the active COVID case tally in the state stands at 2,65,346. Mumbai has recorded 7,895 new COVID cases and 11 deaths in the last 24 hours.

In India, Maharashtra is the most affected state due to COVID-19. The state has reported eight Omicron cases on Sunday. 

Image: Shutterstock, PTI