Karnataka mandates negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report for people arriving from Maharashtra

In light of the worsening COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra, the Karnataka government on Saturday (February 20) made it compulsory to produce a negative RT-PCR report for the persons arriving in Karnataka from these states. The negative RT-PCR certificate should not be older than 72 hours.

Bengaluru: In light of the worsening COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra, the Karnataka government on Saturday (February 20) made it compulsory to produce a negative RT-PCR report for the persons arriving in Karnataka from the state. The negative RT-PCR certificate should not be older than 72 hours. 

"All those arriving from Maharashtra, who are checking into hotels, resorts, hostels, homestays, dormitories, etc shall compulsorily produce a negative RT-PCR certificate that is not older than 72 hours. Owners of the above-mentioned places should ensure that the occupants produce a negative RT-PCR certificate," read an official statement.

The government circular added that the positive samples shall be sent to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) laboratory for genomic sequencing.

"Those who have arrived from Maharashtra in the past two weeks (colleges, hospitals, nursing homes, hostel, hotel, lodge) in the state of Karnataka shall compulsorily be subjected to RT- PCR test."

The employees from Maharashtra working in multinational companies, hotels, resorts, lodges, homestays in Karnataka, should also get the RT PCR test done at their own cost, it added.

Karnataka Health Minister D Sudhakar said, "On average, 4,000-5,000 cases being reported in Kerala and 5,000-6,000 in Maharashtra daily. We share borders with them. So, we issued circulars. Unless we see RT-PCR negative certificates from those coming from these states they will not be permitted to enter the state."

Sudhakar also informed that the state did not find any South African strain or Brazilian strain of COVID-19.

"All that we have found is the UK strain, only in those passengers who travelled from the UK to Bengaluru. We have not allowed it to spread in society," the Minister added. 

Meanwhile, over 386 people tested positive for the COVID-19, outnumbering the 291 recoveries in the state and the number of active cases stand at 5.882, as per a bulletin issued by the state’s health department. Additionally, 39% of the vaccination drive target for Friday was reached, as 40,575 healthcare and frontline workers were vaccinated across the state.