The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India has crossed the 11-million mark with nearly 159,000 fatalities. Amid the surge in virus cases, the Ministry of Railways took to Twitter on March 15, 2021, requesting travellers to check the health advisory guidelines issued by different states before travelling. The tweet by the ministry reads, “In the wake of #COVID19, passengers are requested to read the health advisory guidelines issued by different states before the commencement of their journey to these states. #IndiaFightsCorona.” Read on to know more.
Some States Have Made RT-PCR Reports Mandatory For Train Travel
The ministry has posted a picture that urges travellers to ‘follow state-issued guidelines’. It enlists the to-dos required before travelling via train in India with the virus fears still in place. These to-dos are:
- Check and read state-issued guidelines before travelling
- Every state has its specific set of guidelines
- Some states have made RT-PCR test mandatory within 72-96 hours of train arrivals
“This initiative is taken to avoid confusion and hardships for passengers”. stated the ministry.
In the wake of #COVID19,
passengers are requested to read the health advisory guidelines issued by different states before the commencement of their journey to these states. #IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/CIZxz8g0tm— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) March 15, 2021
Recently, the Rajasthan government made COVID-negative reports mandatory for people coming from Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Udaipur in Rajasthan has mandated COVID-negative RT-PCR reports, not older than 72 hours before arrival to Udaipur, for getting hotel rooms. The negative reports will be mandatory for people coming to Udaipur from six states, namely Punjab, Haryana, Kerala, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The district administration has issued fresh guidelines for strict monitoring of tourists from these states at the airports, railway stations and bus stands.
Also Read: Indian Railways To Be World’s First 100% Electric Railways With Zero Carbon Emissions By 2030
All Passengers Need To Wear Masks And Maintain Social Distancing
In addition to the statewise guidelines, the ministry has informed several times that the authorities won’t permit any passenger on the trains without the mandatory face masks. Also, passengers must adhere to proper sanitisation and social distancing measures. Indian Railways has also planned to launch its ‘zero-based time table’ that will cut down the average travel time of long-distance trains between 30 minutes and 6 hours. The concept aims at increasing the speeds of the trains and also reducing waitlisting.
Also Read: Railways Hikes Fares To Discourage Unnecessary Travel Amid Rising COVID Cases
Now, as the virus is still spreading, don’t forget to follow the necessary precautions if you’re planning to travel, to stay safe and also ensure the safety of others.