The Karnataka government on Thursday ordered that all people entering the state from Kerala need to produce a negative RT-PCR report. However, those who have received both doses of COVID-19 vaccine and possess the certificate for the same are exempted from producing the negative RT-PCR certificate.
The negative RT-PCR report not older than 72 hours shall be compulsorily produced by the passengers coming to Karnataka by flight, bus, train, taxi and personal transport, etc, chief secretary P Ravi Kumar said in his order. This will also be applicable for all flights originating from Kerala to Karnataka.
Airlines shall issue boarding passes only to the passengers carrying RT-PCR negative certificates not older than 72 hours, while Railway authorities and bus conductors shall be responsible for ensuring that all passengers travelling by trains and buses carry a similar certificate, it said. Deputy Commissioners of districts bordering Kerala like Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Mysuru and Chamarajanagara have been asked to make arrangements to deploy necessary staff at checkposts to ensure that all vehicles entering Karnataka are checked.
It is mandatory for students and the public visiting Karnataka daily for education, business and other reasons to undergo RT-PCR tests once in 15 days and possess the negative report. Those permitted exemptions for negative RT-PCR certificates include constitutional functionaries and health professionals, children below 2 years, and those in dire emergency situations (death in family, medical treatment etc, but their swabs will be collected on arrival with necessary details).
According to the order, Kerala continues to be threatened with the spread of COVID 19 virus, and further, INSACOG (a consortium of laboratories for whole Genome sequencing in the context of COVID 19 pandemic) has intimated that Delta Plus variant of COVID 19 virus, which is currently a Variant of Concern (VOC), has been reported in certain districts of Kerala. The prevailing COVID 19 situation in Kerala entails taking special surveillance measures to prevent the spread into the bordering districts of the State, the order said.
Hence directions have been issued for taking special surveillance measures, for persons arriving from Kerala, with immediate effect, it added. The government had earlier this week ordered that all people entering Karnataka from Maharashtra need to produce a negative RT-PCR report or show proof that they have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine..
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