The West Bengal government has taken another significant step in keeping COVID-19 at bay. When flying into the city, the state Home Ministry has made it essential to receive two doses of the Covid-19 vaccination. ‘Two doses of the vaccination must now be taken when flying out of Kolkata Airport. You will be able to enter the city only after that,’ BP Gopalika, State Home Secretary, said in a letter to the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
According to the letter, the directive would be executed right away.
Incase of those who haven’t completed the vaccination dose, the state government has said that those passengers must carry an RT PCR negative report conducted within 72 hours before the trip in this situation. The state Home Secretary wrote to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, stating that the entire country is in danger of a third wave.
Following the directive, Kolkata Airport tweeted, ‘As per the latest guidelines of West Bengal Government, all in-bound flight passengers(commercial and non-commercial flight)shall produce at time of boarding either proof of full vaccination or RT-PCR negative test report for test conducted within 72hrs of such flight departure.’
The airport officials also shared the letter sent to Civil Aviation Ministry on its timeline and said, Attention Passengers travelling to West Bengal. All in-bound flight passengers that are carrying proof of having received two doses of the covid vaccine do not require a RT PCR test report.’
As per the health department, 801 fresh COVID-19 cases have been reported in the state. The positivity rate has come down to 1.56%.