With the festive season proving to be a harbinger of the third wave of Covid, two districts in the Konkan region have imposed travel curbs and have mandated a compulsory RT-PCR negative test report on arrival for travellers, except for those who are fully vaccinated and under 18 years of age.
This decision was taken ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi as the two districts, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg which have limited healthcare facilities and a high positivity rate fear the return of people to these native districts from the bigger cities like Mumbai, Thane and Pune for the 10-day Ganpati festival.
To prevent the spread of Covid from the incoming travellers, teams have been posted at entry points in both districts to check travellers’ status. Those vaccinated have to show their final certificates. “There is no way to ban travel and so these are some of the steps that the districts are taking to reduce the spread of the virus,” an official told TOI.
As per reports, last year, the state saw a huge surge in cases in September, right after the festive season in August. The opposition parties have however criticised the move and have demanded that the mandate asking for negative RT-PCR test be withdrawn. The Centre however upheld the decion of the districts stating that any district is within bounds to issue local directives to ensure the containment of a disease.
“The restrictions imposed are for the benefit of the people. It is expected that all citizens follow them,” said health minister Rajesh Tope. He also pointed out that the Onam festival in Kerala led to a huge surge in cases and Maharashtra has to learn from that.
Meanwhile, with the increased pace of vaccination and improved supplies, the government is expecting some states to cover a significant proportion of the adult population with one dose by October itself. However, coverage in states like UP and Tamil Nadu may take longer.
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