Returnees to ensure physical distancing while deboarding: K’taka govt

Bengaluru, Aug 8 (IANS) Even as the Karnataka government issued revised guidelines for returnees, Health and Family Welfare Department Additional Chief Secretary Jawaid Akhtar said on Saturday that travellers from abroad would have to maintain a physical distance of two metres while deboarding in the state.

Akhtar said the revised guidelines had been issued due to the evolving coronavirus situation. He asked such returnees to submit self-declaration forms on ‘Yatri Karnataka’ online portal at least 72 hours before their travel dates.

He said business and short-term travellers with negative RT-PCR test reports shall be exempted from quarantine.

“Such passengers shall also submit declarations with respect to the authenticity of their test reports and will be liable for criminal prosecution if these are found otherwise,” Akhtar said.

The negative test report must be submitted upon arrival at the point of entry, which can be an airport or a seaport in Karnataka.

Likewise, only asymptomatic travellers will be allowed to board flights after passing through thermal screening.

“All passengers shall download Aarogya Setu, Quarantine Watch and Apthamitra apps on their mobile devices,” he said.

Giving another option to those who cannot submit self-declaration forms on the ‘Yatri Karnataka’ portal, he said such passengers can fill in duplicate forms aboard the flights or ships and submit the same to health or immigration officials present at the seaports or airports.

“Alternatively, such travellers may submit self-declaration forms on the online portal on arrival,” he said.

All arriving passengers will be screened at the health counters for symptoms such as fever, cough, cold, sore throat, loss of taste or smell, weakness, body ache, diarrhoea, and breathing difficulty.

At the point of entry, passengers will be checked for self-reporting form verification, thermal scanning, pulse oximeter reading, and verifying if they have downloaded the required apps.

All passengers will be categorised as symptomatic or asymptomatic on arrival for further action as per the health protocols.

Asymptomatic passengers will be sent in home quarantine for a fortnight while symptomatic cases will be home-quarantined or shifted to hospitals.

“Passengers who have landed in other states but will travel to Karnataka shall undergo rapid antigen testing after reaching their respective districts,” the health official said.

Similarly, international travellers hailing from other states but landing in Karnataka will be allowed to travel to their home states if found asymptomatic.

“Students writing exams in Karnataka shall be exempted from home quarantine if tested negative in rapid antigen testing (RAT) or carrying negative RT-PCR test reports, which should have been done within 96 hours prior to undertaking of the journey,” Akhtar added.

Likewise, passengers would be charged Rs 700 per RAT test and Rs 2,000 per RT-PCR test.

On Friday, Karnataka had registered 6,670 new coronavirus cases, raising the state’s tally to 1.64 lakh.

–IANS

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