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n Sunday, Maharashtra declared six states "sensitive origin", including the national capital and the NCR region, in a bid to stop the "influx of other variants of coronavirus" from other locations.

An order signed by Chief Secretary of Maharashtra Sitaram Kunte has declared that states of Kerala, Gujarat, Delhi and NCR region, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand as the places of "sensitive origin" there is also a coastal region like Goa. According to order, passengers who will travelling to Maharashtra from sensitive states will required a RT-PCR negative test within 2 days of their train travel.

This decision has been taken to cure and curb the transmission of infection in Maharashtra and to "stop the influx of other COVID-19 virus variants into the state of Maharashtra from other locations," it said. "These places will be considered the places of sensitive origin from the date of this order till the time it is retracted or till COVID-19 stays notified as a disaster," it stated.

According to data Maharashtra is the worst-hit state in the country, in content of the number of Covid cases and deaths cases, in the standing operating procedure for passengers travelling in long-distance trains from these six origin, the government said that the Railways shall share the scheduled to be running trains between these origins and stations in Maharashtra with the local disaster management authorities.

He also added in his statement that people can travel to Maharashtra from 6 sensitive origins only when they have reserved tickets. Passengers must carry their RT-PCR negative report otherwise they will have to undergo a rapid antigen test at the station.