Kolkata airport mandates in bound passengers to be fully COVID-19 vaccinated, carry RT-PCR negative tests

The Airport Authority of India (AAI), Kolkata on Monday issued guidelines stating that passengers arriving in West Bengal should be either fully vaccinated or carry an RT-PCR negative report for COVID-19, conducted within 72 hours of departure.

The statement came after the West Bengal government asked officials to issue guidelines as the state witnessed a spurt in COVID-19 cases following Dussehra.

In a series of tweets, the Kolkata Airport said, "Passengers to kindly note as per guidelines of State Govt, all inbound flight passengers to West Bengal shall have to be either fully (doubly) vaccinated or furnish an RT-PCR negative report for a test conducted within 72hrs of such flight departure.

The instructions are applicable from November 1, said the authority.

In another tweet, the authority said, "Also, as per State Govt directives thrice a week restrictions on flight travels shall be applicable only for cities of Nagpur, Pune & Ahmedabad. Kindly contact the airline concerned for further details. Above instructions are effective from 01.11.2021."

In the past 24 hours, West Bengal reported 725 new cases of COVID-19 and eight deaths due to coronavirus. The cumulative number of cases stands at 15.93 lakh as of November 1. The positivity rate stands at 2.49 per cent.

( With inputs from ANI )