Stop RT-PCR tests of vaccinated travelers, Assam MP urges PM
(Sourced from PTI)
A Rajya Sabha member and Congress MP Ripun Bora in a letter appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday to stop COVID-19 tests of fully vaccinated travelers in Assam, saying such a step is nothing but a "wastage of resources" and "harassment of people." He also said that such a step may raise questions on the credibility of the vaccination program.
Bora said, "The prime minister and the Union health ministry have been emphasizing that people who have been administered the second dose are almost immune from further COVID-19 infection and it is substantiated to be a generally accepted scientific opinion." "But, contrary to this in Assam, the state government has been following a contradictory policy in this regard," he added.
The MP said all travelers who are fully vaccinated and coming to Assam are subjected to rapid antigen and RT-PCR tests at all airports, railway stations of Assam, "resulting in heavy loss of time, wastage of resource, and work power, in addition to facing harassment."
"Even repeat travelers to Assam are not exempted and they are required to undergo tests on each and every journey entering in Assam," Bora said. "This system has put a question mark in public perception in Assam on the credibility of the second vaccine dose. We should also be aware of the need of preventing any kind of wastage in public facilitation," he added.
Bora said that every test kit is precious because they are provided to the public at the cost of public money and therefore, these could not be wasted on the fully vaccinated people.
"Under this backdrop, I urge upon you to intervene into the matter," Bora said. "I urge upon you to advise Assam's Chief Minister to stop such wastage by testing people who have the due certificate of two doses of COVID-19 vaccination and restore the confidence of the people on your massive campaign of double dose vaccination to protect people from the infection," he added.
