DK to double check authenticity of RT-PCR reports at borders

Mangaluru: The Dakshina Kannada district administration has directed officials who are engaged in border surveillance, to make sure that the RT-PCR negative certificate inter-state commuters show at checkposts are authentic. This follows after 228 students from Kerala testing positive after reaching Dakshina Kannada, even after showing RT-PCR negative reports.
Recent instances of students from Kerala testing positive in college campuses of Dakshina Kannada, has prompted the district administration to double check the RT-PCR negative reports at inter-state borders. However, the district administration is not sure whether inter-state commuters, especially students, use fake RT-PCR negative certificates to enter the coastal district.
Deputy commissioner K V Rajendra told TOI that checking the authenticity of RT-PCR negative certificates is a major challenge during border surveillance.
“Commuters from Kerala, who enter Dakshina Kannada, have been bringing RT-PCR negative certificates. Those reports indicate that they are not infected with Covid-19 while entering our district. Hence, we have already made seven days of quarantine mandatory for all students who enter Dakshina Kannada, even if they produce RT-PCR negative certificates. However, even after entering the district, there are chances that those students may get infected within seven days, through contacts here. We have been receiving such cases in the past few days in the district. Till Tuesday, the district has found 228 students from Kerala testing positive after reaching Dakshina Kannada, and the number is increasing,” the DC said.
He added that many of them got infected after seven days of quarantine in the district. “I have directed officials to check the authenticity of RT-PCR negative reports that the students from Kerala bring while entering the district. We have also directed colleges in the district to check the authenticity of Covid-19 reports when students enter the campus. Checking the authenticity of RT-PCR negative certificates is a major challenge for us, as reports are not uniform,” Rajendra said.