Covid-19 Resurgence: Negative RT-PCR Report Mandatory For Railway Passengers Coming To Odisha From Today

Bhubaneswar: With Odisha’s daily Covid-19 cases witnessing a sudden surge, the State government has made it compulsory for incoming railway passengers to produce a negative RT-PCR report on their arrival.

East Coast Railway (ECoR) has made it clear that RT-PCR test report will be mandatory for the railway passengers coming to Odisha from today.

The report should be obtained not more than 72 hours before entry into the State. Besides a Covid-19 negative report, a person can also produce a final vaccination certificate, an official order stated.

The ECoR notification said people coming to Odisha without such a report shall have to undergo seven days of mandatory home or institutional quarantine.

Earlier, the Special Relief Commissioner’s office has issued an order that people coming to Odisha by any public transport, such as train, bus, aeroplane or waterways will have to produce a negative RT-PCR report.

The State government has also suspended all public transport from Odisha to Chhattisgarh and vice versa till April 30. The transport department has been asked to set up border check points at strategic locations and border entry points to manage the entry of incoming persons.

(Rashmi Ranjan Mohanty)