Pinarayi Vijayan slams Karnataka's fresh travel curbs on passengers from Kerala

Days after neighbouring Karnataka imposed travel restrictions on people travelling from Kerala in view of the COVID-19 situation, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that the fresh curbs were against the directive of the Union government in this regard. As per orders issued by the Union Home Ministry, states should not impose travel curbs and close their borders, he said. "The Karnataka government has imposed the new restrictions against the Union government's directive," he told the state Assembly.

Replying to a submission by legislator AKM Ashraf of the IUML, he said steps have been taken to ensure that the curbs are not causing any difficulty to the people of the state who are travelling to the neighbouring state for various purposes. State police chief Anil Kant had already contacted his counterpart in Karnataka, who ensured that necessary action would be taken in this regard.

Detailing the restrictions imposed by the neighbouring state, the Chief Minister said a negative RT-PCR certificate, taken within 72 hours, has been made mandatory for commuters from Kerala by the Karnataka government. The officials of that state had tightened inspection at the border checkpost in Thalappady in this regard from August 2. The state police was giving special attention to ensure that the curbs were causing no inconvenience to those going for treatment in hospitals in Karnataka and those belonging to the essential service sector, he said. Arrangements have been made at the border for conducting an RT-PCR test, giving priority to those who travel to Mangaluru on a daily basis.

If anyone produces a certificate, completing two doses of vaccination, they would also be permitted to meet their requirements for which RT-PCR has been made mandatory, the Chief Minister added. Kerala has the highest active COVID-19 cases in the country. As per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 1.76 lakh people are presently under treatment for COVID-19 in Kerala. The Tamil Nadu government has also tightened its restrictions. People travelling from Kerala to Tamil Nadu should be vaccinated with two doses of COVID-19 vaccine or should have a negative RT-PCR certificate taken within 72 hours.