BMC issued new guidelines for the Middle East and Europe passengers; 7-days quarantine compulsory!

Travellers will have to bear the cost of quarantine after BMC issued new guidelines in Mumbai.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued new guidelines on Tuesday for passengers coming from the Middle East and Europe to Mumbai, making 7-days institutional quarantine mandatory.

SARs CoV-2 at surge in the UK

The move came amid detection of the Phylogenetic cluster of SARs-CoV-2 in the United Kingdom. The Government of Indian has already cancelled all flights originating from the UK till December 31. However, five flights from the UK are expected to arrive in Mumbai till December 22. As a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of new mutant, the state government has instructed civic officials to arrange separate hotels and hospitals for the passengers.

According to BMC, The Disaster Management Act, 2005, will be followed at the International Airport of Mumbai. Further, the directives issued under the Epidemic Disease Act are as follows:

1. All the passengers coming directly or through indirect flights from the Middle East and European countries will be sent to mandatory institutional quarantine for seven days at their own cost.

2. In case passengers found symptomatic on arrival, they will be sent to Seven Hills hospital for further examination.

Instead of a RT-PCR test being conducted on arrival, the test will be conducted on 5th to 7th day at the hotels of passengers at their costs. The passengers will be discharged if the result comes negative with the instruction to be quarantined at home for the next seven days. However, the passengers will continue at the same hotel or in COVID hospital for 14 days if the result comes positive and asymptomatic.

4. BEST will take the responsibility to transport the passengers from the UK and the Middle East to their hotels.

5. Arrangements of almost 800 rooms will be made for the passengers daily. Passengers will be able to select the rooms according to their choice and budget.

6. The passports of all the passengers will be deposited at the hotel and returned at the time of discharge from the quarantine.

7. Mumbai International Airport Ltd. will provide PPE kits to immigration officers as well as everyone working there.

8.The testing of the passengers will be made through linking private laboratories to the quarantine hotels. The amount will be charged from the passengers.

9. Collector MSD with the team will monitor the operations.

10.The above guidelines apply to all passengers arriving at Mumbai International Airport from the Middle-East and European countries till further orders.

The state government of Maharashtra has also imposed a night curfew in the state prohibiting the movement between 11 pm to 6 am.

Also Read: A man dressed up as Santa Claus to spread awareness; distributed masks and sanitizers in Mumbai!

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