Travellers from Kerala and Maharashtra arriving in Bengaluru without a valid negative RT-PCR certificate will have to undergo a test and remain in institutional quarantine until the results come. In a press statement on Monday, August 2, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said it is mandatory for travellers from Kerala and Maharashtra to submit the RT-PCR negative report obtained within 72 hours. “If the RT-PCR test is not submitted, the health care team will collect swabs for tests and the travellers will remain in institutional quarantine until the report is received,” stated the release.
The BBMP Chief Commissioner said separate teams have been deployed at major bus stops and railway stations to screen arriving passengers. He also said mandatory checks must be conducted on people arriving at airports and check-posts. Inspection teams have also been stationed at check-posts near the border.
The BBMP on Monday, August 2 held a meeting with the city police and Bengaluru Urban district administration to ensure that everyone is screened, stated the reports. “BBMP officers must work in coordination with police personnel to raise awareness among people on the need to follow Covid rules in the city,” said BBMP Administrator Shri Rakesh Singh. If citizens are found flouting the rules, even after raising awareness, they must be penalised and cases must be filed against them, he said. The police have also been asked to ensure strict implementation of night curfew in the city.
On August 2, commuters from Kerala protested on the border at Talapady after being refused entry in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. Karnataka government mandated a negative RT-PCR certificate for those coming from Kerala and Maharashtra on July 30 even if travellers have received a vaccine dose. Following the order, those not carrying valid negative RT-PCR reports were sent back, angering travellers and leading to the protest on the border, said media reports. A Times of India report stated that the Dakshina Kannada administration had stopped COVID-19 testing at the border. The protesters demanded a permit to travel without an RT-PCR report if one was fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the report mentioned.