HUBBALLI: In the wake of the state government mandating that people coming from Kerala must furnish negative RT-PCR test certificates that are no older than 72 hours from the time of entry into Karnataka, experts said the government should extend the mandate to people arriving from Maharashtra too.
Kerala and Maharashtra are reporting a huge surge in Covid cases over the past few days and the Maharashtra introduced fresh restrictions on Thursday to halt the surge. Its CM was also contemplating a lockdown should cases continue to rise.
Since Karnataka shares a border with Maharashtra, experts fear travellers could spread infections, especially among districts in north Karnataka. Insisting on negative certificates will put to rest those fears, they said.
Experts say if people coming from Maharashtra are not monitored properly, there could be a surge in cases in Chikkodi, Belagavi, Bagalkot and Vijayapura.
Dr GB Sattur, governing council member, KIMS hospital, said: “The pandemic appeared to be receding with some districts reporting only single-digit cases for weeks. Infections in states also appeared to be on a downward trend. But this euphoria may be too early and short-lived as there has been a gradual increase in cases in Maharashtra and Kerala. The severity of infections may have come down, but virus transmission may increase if we are not careful.”
Experts say that even when the pandemic first struck last year, authorities concentrated on returnees from New Delhi and overseas, but ignored those from Maharashtra, a hotspot.
As a result, the virus spread rapidly in Belagavi and other districts in north Karnataka when people from Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra returned home.
“The time is ideal for the government to look into the matter and order guidelines similar to the ones it mandated for Kerala returnees,” opined experts.
Dr KV Trilok Chandra, commissioner, health and family welfare department, said the technical advisory committee will consider the matter and guidelines will be framed based on their suggestions.