Jalpaiguri to set up 11 Rapid Antigen Test centres for tourists

Amitava Banerjee  |  MP  |24 July 2021 | DARJEELING: The appeal for Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) facilities for tourists has been approved by the district administration, Jalpaiguri. 

This decision has been hailed by tourism stakeholders. The district administration has announced that eleven RAT centers will be operational in Jalpaiguri Sadar and Mal subdivision. 

Tourists can get themselves tested from these centers. Meanwhile, RAT centers have been set up on the premises of Malbazar and Alipurduar Railway stations by the state Health department. 

These two stations witness the maximum footfall tourists visiting Dooars. Testing commenced from Friday in these two centers. 

"Tourism stakeholders had made an appeal to the district administrations of Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar for RAT centers in order to facilitate safe and smooth tourism. We express our gratitude to them for setting up these centers," stated Samrat Sanyal, general secretary, Eastern Himalayan Travel and Tourism Operators' Association (EHTTOA.) 

Sanyal added that all the tourists tested in these two centers on Friday were Covid-19 negative. Not only tourists but anyone arriving at these two destinations can get themselves tested. In case a person tests positive without any symptoms, the person will be sent to a safe home. 

If a person can furnish complete vaccination certificate (two doses) or a RT-PCR negative report (done within 72 hours), then he or she is not required to undertake RAT. 

With the Covid-19 tourism protocol in place many tourists were cancelling tours owing to the complications of going through a time consuming RT-PCR test.

(http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/jalpaiguri-to-set-up-11-rapid-antigen-test-centres-for-tourists-447597)