On Saturday, the government of Karnataka has made it mandatory for travellers from Maharashtra and Kerala, including fully vaccinated individuals, to carry a negative RT-PCR test which is not older than 72 hours. Incoming travellers who don’t carry a negative RT-PCR report will not be permitted to board flights.
The government circular stated, “Airlines shall issue boarding passes only to passengers carrying RT-PCR negative certificates not older than 72 hours.” The same instruction has been given to railway officials and bus conductors.
People who travel between two states regularly for educational, official or business-related purposes are required to get tested every fifteen days and carry the certificate of the same while entering Karnataka.
Furthermore, Karnataka’s government has ordered to establish check posts in districts of Dakshina, Kodagu and Mysuru that border Kerala as well Maharashtra-bordered Belagavi, Vijayapura, Kalburgi and Bidar districts.
The announcement came after the rise of daily COVID-19 cases in both neighbouring states wherein Maharashtra reported 6,600 cases on July 30 and Kerala had registered over 20,000 cases on the same day.
On Friday, Karnataka recorded a total of 1,890 new coronavirus infections and 34 fatalities along with 1,631 patients recovering from the virus. The state’s Chief Minister, Basavaraj Bommai had said, “We have to tighten our borders. We have to make compulsory testing and vaccination.”