Show –ve Covid report not older than 72 hrs before boarding flight

Sanjay Bumbroo

Tribune News Service

Mohali, May 3

In view of the emergent nature and potential magnitude of the pandemic, the district administration has directed that all air passengers at the Chandigarh International Airport shall produce negative Covid report not older than 72 hours before boarding the flight.

Girish Dayalan, District Magistrate-cum-Chairperson, District Disaster Management Authority, said air passengers could produce a vaccination certificate (at least one dose) of over two weeks old and the airlines should be responsible for ensuring the same. The step had been taken as per the instructions received from the Punjab Government to prevent the spread of the disease and enable effective surveillance, tracing and tracking the movement of passengers.

Dayalan said all incoming passengers belonging to Punjab/whose destination is Punjab should install COVA app on their smart phones before exiting the airport. The passengers should also necessarily turn on Bluetooth and GPS. The airlines should publicise this extensively to ensure that this information was made available to all passengers boarding the flights well before their departure.

The District Magistrate said station managers of the respective airlines should be responsible to implement the orders and any violation would invite penal action as per law. The CEO, Chandigarh International Airport Limited, should monitor this and ensure compliance of these directions and report deviations, if any.

He said similar directions had also been issued for people entering the state via district. Five inter-state border checkpoints had been set up on highways namely Siswan-Baddi Road; near Sekhon Banquet Hall, Zirakpur; Panchkula Highway; Ambala to Naraingarh Highway; Nagal Morh; Bhora Khera Morh; and Ambala to Chandigarh Highway, Jharmari (Lalru). Such checkpoints had also been set up on six link roads - Peer Muchalla; T-Point, Antala; Barwala road, Behra Morh; Ramgarh-Mubarakpur Road; Daffarpur; and Harmilap Nagar, Baltana.

He said police personnel should ensure 24X7 manning at these points for strict implementation of guidelines. However, there would not be any embargo on goods carrier vehicles coming to the district.

COVA app mandatory for incoming passengers

Girish Dayalan, District Magistrate-cum-Chairperson, District Disaster Management Authority, said all incoming passengers belonging to Punjab/whose destination is Punjab should install COVA app on their smart phones before exiting the airport. The passengers should also necessarily turn on Bluetooth and GPS. The airlines should publicise this extensively to ensure that this information is made available to all passengers boarding the flights well before their departure.