The Karnataka Heath department has issued new appended guidelines –
In view of the surge of COVID-19 cases in Kerala and Maharashtra, special surveillance measures have been put in place for persons coming from those States. It has been made mandatory for passengers coming from Kerala and Maharashtra to carry RT-PCR negative certificates not older than 72 hours at the time of arrival into Karnataka.
Recently, a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases has been witnessed in Punjab and Chandigarh. The matter has been examined in consultation with the Technical Advisory Committee and it is felt that it has now become necessary to apply the same guidelines for the passengers coming from Punjab and Chandigarh as well. It has, therefore, been made mandatory for passengers coming from Punjab and Chandigarh to carry a negative RT-PCR certificate for entering Karnataka.
passengers entering into Karnataka from Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab and Chandigarh :
Negative RT-PCR certificate not older than 72 hours shall be compulsorily produced by the passengers coming to Karnataka by flight, bus, train and personal transport.
This will be applicable for all the flights originating in Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab and Chandigarh. (ii) Airlines shall issue boarding passes only to the passengers carrying RT-PCR negative certificate not older than 72 hours.
(iii) Railway Authorities shall be responsible for ensuring that an passengers travelling by trains carry negative RT-PCR certificates.
(iv) For all the passengers travelling by bus, the bus conductor shall ensure they possess RT-PCR negative certificates.
(v) Deputy Commissioners of the Districts bordering Maharashtra and Kerala shall make arrangemen. to ensure that all the vehicles entering Karnataka are checked for the compliance of the above requirement.
Permitted exemptions for negative RT-PCR certificate :
(i) Constitutional functionaries and health care professionals.
(ii) Children below 2 years
(iii) 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.
The above measures shall come into effect from 25 March 2021, 06:00 Hrs.
A very good decision by Government of Karnataka to safe guard their citizens from second phase of Covid 19 .Hope this protocol will be followed strictly to control the Covid 19 spread in Karnataka.