Travelling To Karnataka? Restriction On Passengers From These Two States; RT-PCR Report Mandatory

The Karnataka Government has also issued a circular in this regard stating “anyone who does not comply with this shall immediately be reported and must stay inside the designated quarantine room in the facility till RT-PCR test report is negative”.

(Representative Image/ Getty)

Taking into account the increase in the number of cases in Maharashtra and Kerala, Karnataka has made mandatory a negative RT-PCR certificate for the people arriving by flights, trains, buses or personal transport from the two neighbouring states. The Karnataka Government has also issued a circular in this regard stating “anyone who does not comply with this shall immediately be reported and must stay inside the designated quarantine room in the facility till RT-PCR test report is negative”.

“An exemption is given to those who have a valid RT PCR negative test report not older than 72 hours,” the circular adds.  

RT-PCR is commonly used in research methods to measure gene expression.

Justifying the government’s stand, Health Minister K. Sudhakar said the people coming from the two states won’t be allowed inside Karnataka unless they show a negative COVID-19 report.

“On an average, 4000 to 5000 cases are being reported in Kerala and 5,000 to 6,000 in Maharashtra daily. We share borders with them. So, we issued the circulars. Unless we see RT-PCR negative certificates from those coming from these states they won't be permitted to enter Karnataka,” ANI quoted Sudhakar as saying.

Sudhakar further said there is no evidence about the presence of Brazilian or South African ostrain of the coronavirus in the state. 

Meanwhi, allaying fears of fresh lockdown in Bengaluru due to increasing Covid-19 cases,  Karnataka Health Minister K. Sudhakar said on Saturday that there is no proposal lying before the state government to re-enforce the lockdown in any part of the southern state.

The minister, however, stressed on the fact that state government is making all out efforts to prevent the Covid situation from going out of control saying that it is equally important for people to cooperate fully in battle against the unprecedented contagion.