Mumbai: BMC to screen travellers at airport to look out for any new Covid variant

Officials said that in the run up to the festival season next month, a surge in arrivals is expected of people who are working or studying abroad returning home.

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The BMC said it would increase screening and tests of travellers entering the city to look out for any new variant. (Representational)

ANTICIPATING increase in the number of international travellers visiting India ahead of Christmas vacation, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation says it is keeping a check at the city airport for any new variant of Covid virus.

Officials said that in the run up to the festival season next month, a surge in arrivals is expected of people who are working or studying abroad returning home. The BMC said it would increase screening and tests of travellers entering the city to look out for any new variant.

The daily number of Covid-19 cases has not seen a spike in Mumbai. The BMC has been tracking any rise in cases at this time, 10 days after the Diwali festivities ended in the first week of November, when a surge was expected. On Monday, only 184 Covid-19 cases were recorded along with four deaths.

“With restrictions relaxed, people are likely to visit their hometowns. Recently, even the Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) said that with the ministry allowing airlines to operate 100% of their scheduled capacity and Christmas season lined up in the coming months, the passenger traffic is inching towards pre-Covid days,” said an official from BMC. Additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani, in charge of the health department, said that there are already news reports about Mumbai airport witnessing record number of passengers, highest since March 23, 2020.

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