RT-PCR negative report mandatory for travellers from Kerala, Maharashtra

Mangaluru: Karnataka has made it mandatory for those coming from Kerala and Maharashtra to produce RT-PCR negative report, irrespective of vaccination status.

Earlier, the travellers from Kerala and Maharashtra were given an option to either produce RT-PCR test report or a vaccination certificate.

But, in the revised guidelines, the District administration said that the travellers must produce a negative RT- PCR certificate that is not older than 72 hours irrespective of vaccination status.

The above condition is mandatory for all passengers coming to Karnataka by flight, bus, train and personal transport. The airlines, Railways and bus service providers have been directed to check the test report before boarding the passengers.

Also, students and the public visiting Karnataka daily for education, business or other purposes must undergo RT – PCR test once in 15 days and possess the negative test report.

Deputy Commissioners of the Districts bordering Kerala i.e., Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu & Mysore and Maharashtra i.e., Belagavi, Vijayapura, Kalburgi and Bidar will establish check posts & make arrangements to deploy necessary staff to ensure that all the vehicles entering Karnataka are checked for compliance of the requirement.

Those exempted from carrying the negative RT-PCR certificate are constitutional functionaries, healthcare professionals and children aged below two. In the case of those in dire emergency situations (death in the family and medical treatment among others) their swabs shall be collected on arrival in Karnataka.

The government on Friday ordered the district administrations to strictly monitor the COVID-19 situation in their respective jurisdictions and to impose additional containment measures as deemed necessary. The order said there was a spike in the number of new cases in the border-States as well as in a few places in the State. This warrants close monitoring and stringent micro- containment measures. For example, the border-State of Kerala is currently seeing a surge in COVID-19.