Around 1,000 Travellers From S Africa Landed In Mumbai Since Nov 10: Aaditya Thackeray
Amid Omicron threat, BMC has been actively contacting and inquiring passengers who have arrived in the city from other countries
Mumbai: As the threat of Omicron variant grows, Maharashtra Tourism and Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray on Monday revealed that since November 10, around 1,000 travellers from South Africa have landed in Mumbai.
“We’ve got information on the people who have arrived, thus far. Those who are in Mumbai are being contacted and the BMC is inquiring about their health status. Arrangements are being made for institutional isolation,” Thackery said after a meeting with BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation officials.
Raising concern over the threat posed by the Omicron variant, Aaditya said that BMC has been actively contacting and inquiring about passengers who have arrived in the city from other countries since November 10.
The Maharashtra minister’s statement came hours after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expressed concern at a cabinet meeting over tracking those international passengers who had not landed directly in Mumbai but were likely to enter the state through other routes.
Thackeray added it would be easier to stop the spread of infection if information about such travellers were shared.
Earlier, in awake of the new mutated strain, the Central government had issued updated guidelines for international travellers entering India from ‘countries at-risk. The issue says that regardless of their vaccination status, they will have to mandatorily undergo Covid testing at the airport on arrival.
At the meeting with BMC officials, Aaditya also reviewed Covid preparedness measures and said that 72% of Mumbai’s eligible population is fully vaccinated.
“Mumbai’s first dose is 100% complete and 72% have received their second dose. We will request the Union Govt to reduce the gap between two doses without altering our vaccine delivery schedule so that we can complete 100% of the second doses for Mumbai by mid-January. Vaccines and masks are extremely crucial for Covid-appropriate behaviour,” said Aaditya Thackery.
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