Punjab government makes medical screening and re-registration mandatory for visitors to the state

Taking a serious view of rising cases of COVID-19, the Punjab government has made medical screening and re-registration mandatory for persons travelling to the state. This comes after the Himachal Pradesh government too made some amendments in guidelines for interstate movement.

The Punjab government on Saturday issued an advisory, to be applicable from July 7, 2020, for all inbound persons travelling to the state, according to which any person, whether major or minor, coming to Punjab via road, rail or air shall henceforth, and till further orders, would be medically screened when he/she enters Punjab and will be required to e-register himself/herself through COVA App before starting his/her journey to Punjab.

In case any inbound traveller does not undertake the steps, then he/she would be asked at border, rail, airport check post while entering Punjab to cooperate with the team of the Punjab government who would undertake the data capturing process there at the spot itself.

A press statement issued by the government states that except for frequent travellers, all inbound persons after reaching Punjab will have to undertake a self-quarantine of 14 days and during this period they will have to update their health status daily on COVA app or would have to call 112 daily. In case they feel they are developing any symptoms of COVID-19, they will have to immediately call 104.

For international travelers, the quarantine would be institutional for first seven days and home for the next seven days. Any violation of these instructions will make violators liable for penal action.

The Himachal Pradesh government had on Friday issued new SOPs permitting entry of tourists with conditions such as a test report showing negative for COVID-19 and a prior hotel booking of at least five days, to check the spread of the novel coronavirus. All inter-state movement will be monitored through registration in the COVID e-pass software, the new SOP reads.

"The people coming to Himachal Pradesh from other states shall strictly adhere to the prevailing guidelines/standard operating procedure (SOP) issued by the health and revenue departments of the state. Tourists with valid booking, preferably for durations not less than five days and having been tested for COVID-19 by an ICMR-accredited laboratory not earlier than 72 hours at the time of entry may also be exempted from the requirement of quarantine," it stated.