RT-PCR test mandatory for passengers deboarding at Bhubaneswar airport

All passengers deboarding at Bhubaneswar airport, barring those in transit, will have to undergo an RT-PCR test from Friday.

Even fully vaccinated people or those in possession of an RT-PCR negative report will again have to undergo the COVID test, an order issued by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday said.

"All air travellers deboarding at Bhubaneswar, except those in transit, shall have to undergo (an) RT-PCR test," the order stated.


The passengers whose destination is Bhubaneswar will have to isolate themselves at home till the result is out. The usual protocol will be followed in case the report returns positive, it said.

The BMC will install the testing facility at the airport and the guidelines will be in effect till further notice, it added.

The Odisha capital registered 400 new cases on Thursday, while there are 1,343 active cases in the city.

Meanwhile, the Nandankanan Zoological Park said that online tickets were mandatory for entry of visitors from Friday and no counter tickets would be available.

The Odisha government has already tightened restrictions as coronavirus continues to spiral again. The state on Thursday registered 1,897 fresh cases, the highest single-day spike in more than five months, and a fatality.