K’taka to test all int’l flyers; 7-day home quarantine if -ve

K’taka to test all int’l flyers; 7-day home quarantine if -ve

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru:01.12.2021

In the backdrop of concerns over Omicron variant, the Karnataka government said on Tuesday that all international passengers will have to mandatorily undergo RT-PCR tests on arrival in Karnataka airports.

Those who test negative must remain in home quarantine for seven days; those who test positive will be hospitalized and treated separately. The state will soon issue a notification on when the new travel guidelines come into force.

After chairing a meeting of the Covid Technical Advisory Committee, health minister K Sudhakar said: “Currently, the RT-PCR test on arrival is conducted only on passengers coming from ‘at-risk’ countries notified by the Centre. Going forward, we have been instructed by the CM to test travellers from all countries.”

The state will write to the Centre seeking ban on travellers from the countries where Omicron variant has been detected. The state witnesses around 2,500 international arrivals per day, with a majority of them landing at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru and the Mangaluru international airport. “Those who are symptomatic and negative will have to undergo testing at home on the fifth day of their arrival. Asymptomatic passengers will be tested on the seventh day,” the minister said.

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Travel plans disrupted

While incoming passengers have to pay for the test (Rs 3,000 for the quick one), the state will deploy tech tools such as Quarantine App and Tele Medicine to track and treat them.

The government’s travel restrictions, which come ahead of Christmas-New Year season, has disrupted travel plans of thousands of Bengalureans, especially technology professionals working in the US and European countries and locals planning to fly abroad for vacation. Many would be forced to cancel or alter their travel plans fearing more restrictions in the coming weeks, thereby sending the travel and hospitality sector into a tizzy.

Sudhakar justified the restrictions, stating: “Unlike other countries which are banning foreign travelers following the fear of Omicron, we have been considerate and are telling people to undergo quarantine for a week at home. The new strain seems to be contagious. We need to take preventive action now so that we do not regret later.”