The Karnataka government has released a set of protocols on May 31 for those who are travelling to the state as part of its phased reopening, Unlock 1.0.
Health screening of all inter-state travellers entering Karnataka will be carried out at the entry points, including border check-posts, airports, railway stations and bus stands. The state has issued special guidelines for travellers coming from Maharashtra, which has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country.
The standard operating procedure (SOP) comes after the state government issued an order on Sunday stating, "There shall be no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods. No separate permission, approval or e-permit will be required for such movements.
The Karnataka government has mandated that all travellers must register themselves on the Seva Sindhu online portal before entering Karnataka. This is a registration process and does not require governmental approval.
Passengers will have to key in their name, address and mobile number. Business visitors should give additional details: Name, mobile number and address of persons in Karnataka they intend to meet. They should also have confirmed return flight/train ticket, which is not more than one or seven days after the date of arrival.
All symptomatic passengers coming from other states will be tested on arrival. Persons found to be positive will be shifted to a Dedicated COVID Hospital (DCH). If found negative, no further test would be required.
If the person is asymptomatic on arrival, he/she will have to follow 14-day home quarantine. Testing will be done if the person develops symptoms during this period. Those who do not have the facility or ideal environment for home quarantine (large family, no separate rooms, slum and overcrowded areas) will be taken to institutional quarantine.
Asymptomatic business travellers will be exempted from quarantine if they show confirmed return flight/train ticket, which is not more than seven days after the date of arrival, or the address proof of native state for those arriving by road.
All passengers from Maharashtra — symptomatic or asymptomatic — must undergo seven days of institutional quarantine, followed by seven days of home quarantine. While symptomatic persons will be tested on arrival, asymptomatic persons will be tested if he/she develops symptoms during the quarantine period.
Passengers who produce a coronavirus-negative test certificate from an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-approved lab, which is not more than two days old from the date of arrival, will be exempted from seven-day institutional quarantine. They can be asked to go for 14-day home quarantine.
Asymptomatic persons from Maharashtra who come in the special category — pregnant women, children aged below 10 years, elderly people aged above 60 years, those with serious illness and bereaved family members — can undergo 14-day home quarantine.
Business travellers must produce a confirmed return flight/train ticket, which is not more than seven days after from the date of arrival. Those travelling by road must show the address proof of the person he/she intends to meet in Karnataka.
Business travellers from Maharashtra will be exempted from quarantine if they show coronavirus-negative test certificate, which is not more than two days old. Those who cannot produce such a certificate will be sent for two-day institutional quarantine, during which COVID-19 test will be conducted at his/her own expense. If the result is negative, he/she will be exempted from quarantine.
Transit travellers who arrive in Karnataka, to proceed to other states, must provide their address in the destination state, and indicate their exit check post from Karnataka. They should show a flight/train ticket for the onward journey, which should not be more than one day after the date of arrival. Those travelling by road should provide identity proof and address proof in the destination state. A hand stamp saying "Transit Traveller" will be issued.
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