RT-PCR report, Covid-19 certificate after both doses mandatory for Kerala travellers

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Thursday issued an order making an RT-PCR negative certificate not less than 72 hours old mandatory for travellers coming to Karnataka from Kerala. This is applicable for those coming in via flight, train, taxi, and personal transport with exemptions for those who have taken both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The order issued by Chief Secretary P Ravikumar after 112th meeting of the State COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) cited INSACOG (a consortium of laboratories for whole Genome sequencing in the context of Covid-19 pandemic) intimating that the Delta Plus variant was reported in certain districts of Kerala as the reason behind the action taken among special surveillance measures that will be in place across the state.

According to the orders, travellers from both Kerala and Maharashtra will now have to carry negative RT-PCR test certificates to enter Karnataka. However, there is a key difference between the surveillance measures announced for the two states. Those who have taken one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination are exempted to travel from Maharashtra into Karnataka without a negative RT-PCR report. But to enter the state from Kerala, only those who have taken both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine or an RT-PCR negative report are exempted from the surveillance measures.

Children, constitutional functionaries and healthcare professionals are exempted from producing negative RT-PCR certificates. Reports of the delta variant of the coronavirus in Kerala were cited as the reason for the decision taken by the Karnataka government.