K’taka govt tweaks rules for Kerala travelers; RT-PCR report not needed if vaccine certificate available

Mangaluru: Tweaking its earlier order, the Karnataka government has exempted those who have received ”at least one dose” of COVID-19 vaccine and possess the certificate for the same from producing the negative RT-PCR certificate while entering the state from neighbouring Kerala.

The government on Thursday had ordered that all people entering the state from Kerala need to produce a negative RT- PCR report that is not older than 72 hours, but had exempted those who have received ”both doses” of COVID vaccine and possessed certificate for the same from producing the test report.

Subsequently the government has issued an addendum to its order according to which, those possessing certificate of having received at least one dose of COVID vaccine were exempted from producing negative RT-PCR report.

Also, constitutional functionaries and health professionals, children below 2 years, and those in dire emergency situations (death in family, medical treatment etc, but their swabs will be collected on arrival with necessary details), are exempted from producing the negative RT-PCR report.

The government earlier this week had imposed similar surveillance measures for people coming into Karnataka from Maharashtra.