Karnataka Government puts an end to quarantine rules for inter-state travellers

New interstate travel protocol

♦ No registration on Seva Sindhu portal

♦ Entry and medical check-up at the state borders, bus stations, railway stations and airports.

♦ Screening at receiving centres in the districts

♦ Hand stamping of passengers

♦ 14 days quarantine

♦ Isolation and testing

♦ Enforcement home quarantine including a poster on home

♦ Asymptomatic on arrival, they can report to work or perform their activities in the state without any requirement for 14-day home quarantine

♦ People with Covid-19 symptoms should seek medical consultation without fail or call Apthamitra helpline 14410

♦ COVID-19 protocols such as a compulsory wearing face mask, 2 meters (or 6 feet) of physical distancing, frequent handwashing with soap and water or use of a hand sanitizer should be followed

Bengaluru: In a sharp shift in its policy, the Karnataka government on Monday decided to do away with its 14-day quarantine protocols for inter-state travellers.

Two days after the Union government issued a circular to the Chief Secretaries of all states, informing them that there shall be no restrictions on inter-state and intra-state travel of people and goods, the state government has decided to do away with the mandated quarantine period, no registration, and no hand stamping for incoming travellers.

Now all asymptomatic travellers can report to work or perform their activities in Karnataka without any requirement of 14 days home quarantine. Any asymptomatic Covid-19 patient on arrival can now report to work or perform their activities in the State without 14 days home quarantine protocol.

"However, they shall self-monitor their health for 14 days from the date of their arrival for any symptoms of like fever, cough, cold, throat pain, difficulty in breathing, etc and immediately seek medical consultation without fail or call Apthamitra helpline 14410," said a revised circular issued by Jawaid Akhtar, additional chief secretary to Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Department.

"They should immediately seek medical consultation without fail or call Apthamitra helpline 14410. Any symptomatic patient on arrival shall immediately self-isolate and seek medical consultation without fail and observe standard Covid-19 precautions like compulsory wearing of face mask, physical distancing of 2 meters (or 6 feet), frequent hand-washing with soap and water or use of hand sanitizer, follow cough etiquette, etc. While in public areas and workplaces," he noted.

his revised Circular shall apply to all inter-state travellers arriving in Karnataka from all States/UTs including business travellers, students, labourers coming for work, transit travellers, etc. irrespective of their purpose of visit or duration of stay in the state. Deputy Commissioners of all Districts / Commissioner, BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) are hereby instructed to implement this with immediate effect and without any deviations at district levels," it said.

Karnataka is the fourth largest state in terms of the Covid-19 cases in the country with over 2.7 lakh cases and over 4,000 deaths. The govt had once blamed interstate travellers for the spread of the virus in the state. As on August 22, the government had to linked a whopping 1,49,550 Covid-19 cases to inter-state travellers.