The Kerala government has opened a free COVID-19 test facility at Talapady, which borders Kasaragod and Mangaluru. The move came after the Karnataka government mandated a negative RT-PCR test certificate for travellers from Kerala due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in the state. As per the Karnataka government’s regulation, all passengers from Kerala are required to possess a negative RT-PCR certificate taken within 72 hours. Even people who have taken two doses of COVID-19 vaccine are required to take the test. The testing facility has been arranged at the Viswas Auditorium in Talapady. Three teams of health experts have been deployed at the spot.
The Kasargod district administration said in a statement on Thursday that the facility was set up by the Health Department to help people from facing difficulties at the border. “People will get results within a day. It has been so arranged that people will get results on their mobile phones,” the statement said. People can download certificates from the health department’s portal for the same by noon the day after people take the test. The testing facility is being run in association with Mangalpady taluk hospital in Kasaragod.
In March this year, the officials of Karnataka had similarly set up COVID-19 testing facility at the Kerala side of Talapady border for people from Kerala. After the Karnataka government imposed the strict restriction, many local residents recently staged a sit-in in protest at the Talapady border against the move.
Kerala has the highest number of active COVID-19 cases in the country. As per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Kerala has 1.76 lakh active COVID-19 patients, as of August 5. Maharashtra which has the second highest active COVID-19 cases has 76,224 people under treatment.