New Delhi:
The Karnataka government has issued a revised circular for people arriving from neighboring Kerala, which is contributing over 50 per cent of the new cases being reported across the country and a third of the deaths.
The latest guidelines make it mandatory for people coming from Kerala to have negative RT-PCR reports not older than 72 hours, irrespective of their vaccination status. According to the new SOP, passengers will also have to undergo a one-week mandatory home quarantine.
The directive states that students and staff coming from the neighboring state will have to undergo institutional quarantine, which will be arranged by the educational institution and the companies concerned, in which they are involved.
The new SOP issued on Tuesday was shared by Bengaluru airport on Twitter today.
passengers arriving from #KeralaPlease pay attention to the latest GoK guidelines. For queries, write to us at feedback@bialairport.com or call us on 080-22012001. #blrairport#Bengaluru#stay safepic.twitter.com/WNdpemyxnF
— BLR Airport (@BLRAirport) 2 September 2021
Children below two years of age and passengers arriving during emergencies (death in family/medical treatment, etc.) will not require institutional quarantine. Other exemptions include constitutional functionaries, health care professionals and their spouses, students appearing for exams with one parent (within 3 days), transit passengers and short-term travelers.
The revised guidelines come as Kerala is reporting a large number of cases; This morning the state reported 32,803 cases or nearly 70 per cent of the 47,092 infections reported across the country.
“Priority should be given to the border districts of Kerala. We have announced institutional quarantine for people coming from Kerala. There is some relaxation for students who are taking online exams, and those who come daily from border districts of Kerala. ” Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said today.
On Wednesday, the minister had confirmed that around 32 students – all who returned from Kerala – have tested positive for COVID-19 at a nursing college in the state.
“32 students in a college of KGF Nursing College are infected with COVID. All of them have returned from Kerala. I will visit the college and take action against the college management,” the minister was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The state is also ensuring that people living in border districts are vaccinated.
“We are vaccinating the population in the districts bordering Kerala. Students/staff coming from Kerala will have to be quarantined for a week and undergo RT-PCR test at the end of the seventh-day quarantine. We are trying to prevent this. We are taking all possible measures to contain the spread of COVID,” Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.
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