The Karnataka government has issued a fresh circular advising people to refrain from visiting Kerala until the end of October 2021, due to the COVID-19 situation in the neighbouring state.
The advisory explains that this is “in order to prevent a potential COVID-19 third wave” in Karnataka.
Earlier, the government had mandated institutional quarantine for the students and employees, along with a negative RT-PCR test not older than 72 hours. However, those bringing negative test reports are testing positive for the virus after entering Karnataka, which has prompted the government to issue fresh guidelines.
The government advisory, issued on Wednesday, September 7, advises all administrators and authorities of the educational/ nursing/ paramedical institutions to instruct their wards who have not yet returned to Karnataka to defer or postpone their return till the end of October, 2021. They are also to instruct the students not to travel to Kerala until that time. Administrators and/or owners of hospitals, nursing homes, offices, hotels, factories and industries have been given the same instruction.
The circular also advises the public to defer any plans to visit Kerala till the end of October 2021, if there is no emergency or urgent purpose to their visit. This is to prevent a potential wave of COVID-19 in the state, it said.
On September 1, the Karnataka government mandated institutional quarantine for students and employees coming in from Kerala. The facilities for the same must be paid for by the institutions and companies that they belong to, and that home quarantine is strictly not allowed. Under quarantine, the individuals will be strictly monitored for seven days, at the end of which if they get a negative RT-PCR test report, they will be allowed to leave the facility. However, exceptions have been made for people such as healthcare workers, those travelling for emergencies, children under the age of two, transit passengers and those coming for short-term visits.