PremiumNegative RT-PCR certificate not older than 72 hours or vaccination certificate of at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine shall be compulsorily produced by the passengers coming to Karnataka by flight, bus, train, taxi, personal transport, etc
As Delta plus variant spreads across India with over 50 cases reported so far, the Karnataka government on Thursday announced fresh guidelines for travellers entering the state from Kerala via rail, road or air. Similar guidelines were earlier introduced for travellers entering the southern state from Maharashtra.
"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.
Here is a lowdown on the fresh guidelines for Kerala travellers:
1) Negative RT-PCR certificate not older than 72 hours or vaccination certificate of at least one dose of COVID 19 vaccine shall be compulsorily produced by the passengers coming to Karnataka by flight, bus, train, taxi, personal transport, etc.
2) Airlines shall issue boarding passes only to the passengers carrying RT-PCR negative certificate not older than 72 hours or vaccination certificate of at-least one dose of COVID 19 vaccine.
3) Railway Authorities shall be responsible for ensuring that all passengers travelling by trains carry negative RT-PCR certificates not older than 72 hours or vaccination certificate of at least one dose of COVID 19 vaccine.
4) For all the passengers travelling by bus, the bus conductor shall ensure that they possess RT-PCR negative certificates not older than 72 hours or vaccination certificate of at least one dose of COVID 19 vaccine.
5) 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.
6) 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.
Permitted exemptions for negative RT-PCR certificate are as follows:
a) Vaccination certificate of having received at least one dose of COVID 19 vaccine.
b) Constitutional functionaries and health care professionals.
c) Children below 2 years.
d) In dire emergency situation (death in the family, medical treatment etc.,) - the passenger's swab shall be collected on arrival in Karnataka with necessary details like phone number, address etc., duly verifying from his ID card. On receipt of the RT-PCR test report, further action will be taken as per the State protocol.
"Any person violating these measures will be liable to be proceeded against as per the relevant provisions of the Kamataka Epidemic Diseases Act 2020, Disaster Management Act, 2005, besides legal action under relevant section of IPC, and other legal provisions as applicable," the order stated.
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.
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