Kodagu officials told to allow Kerala visitors only if they have COVID negative RT-PCR reports

MADIKERI: Kodagu DC Charulata Somal has passed stringent orders to collect COVID negative RT-PCR reports of all visitors entering the district from Kerala.

On February 20, The New Indian Express published a report exposing the lax inspection at check posts where visitors from Kerala enter Kodagu district. While the state had mandated visitors from Kerala to possess COVID negative RT-PCR reports to enter any part of the state, no measures to enforce this were implemented at the Kodagu border check posts. The district administration and health department had said there were no guidelines to collect the reports at the check posts.

Subsequently, Somal on Saturday released orders to implement compulsory checking of negative RT-PCR reports of visitors entering the district from neighbouring Kerala. Officials from the health, revenue and police department have been appointed at Karike, Makutta, Kutta and Sampaje check posts to verify the reports of all visitors coming in from Kerala.

Further, Somal has ordered hotel, resort and homestay owners to mandatorily collect negative RT-PCR reports (done 72 hours prior to check-in) of tourists from Kerala and confirmed that surprise checks will be conducted by the district administration to ensure this. Action will be taken against violators of the order, she added.