New Delhi: Karnataka has announced that those travelling from Maharashtra will be subjected to several precautionary measures including seven days of institutional quarantine.

In the ongoing fifth phase of Lockdown 5.0 or Unlock 1, restrictions on interstate travel have been lifted. But states have also been allowed to decide according to the prevailing situation. Although Karnataka has lifted the restrictions on interstate movement, the state health department has issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for travellers. According to this, all inter-state travellers entering Karnataka will have to undergo mandatory health screening and will be placed in home quarantine for 14 days.

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But those coming from Maharashtra will have to go through additional steps. The SOP specifies that those travelling from Maharashtra and who are asymptomatic will have to undergo seven days of institutional quarantine followed by seven days of home quarantine. Those who show symptoms will be subjected to COVID-19 tests.

A health official said in a report by PTI, "These measures were necessary as maximum cases are of those who returned from Maharashtra." He also said that migrant labourers with a travel history to Maharashtra contributed to the rise of coronavirus cases in Karnataka.

Here are some things to keep in mind while travelling from Maharashtra to Karnataka

  • Business travellers- Those from Maharashtra will have to show confirmed return flight or train tickets. This should not be more than seven days later from the date of arrival

  • By Road- Those travelling by road will have to give address proof of the person they intend to meet in Karnataka. They will also have to show a negative test certificate not more than two days old. If they do not have a certificate, they will be kept in institutional quarantine for two days.

  • Special Category- The SOP is not applicable to special category asymptomatic persons such as those visiting for a funeral, pregnant women, children aged below 10 years, those above 60 years and serious illness, and human distress.


The SOP also states that those who are in the home quarantined will have to put up a poster on the door of the house and any violation of home quarantine regulations will incur legal action. The data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare show that at present, Maharashtra leads in the number of coronavirus with 70,0013 cases. Karnataka has a total of 3408 coronavirus cases.

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