Anyone entering Tamil Nadu from other states or countries and those who are travelling within the state will now have to undergo mandatory quarantine, as per the revised testing and quarantine guidelines issued by the government of Tamil Nadu.
The state government had recently set up a website for people who wish to travel to Tamil Nadu amid the lockdown. This travel can include those for medical emergencies, deaths and weddings and also by people who are residents of Tamil Nadu but are stranded outside the state.
The website asks for details like Aadhar number, ID proofs and vehicle details of those who request for travel passes. The vehicle passes will be issued by the state government for a maximum of 30 passengers excluding the vehicle driver under one login.
Those travelling within Tamil Nadu between districts will be tested only if they exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 like high fever, cough or cold. All those who travel between districts in Tamil Nadu must however undergo mandatory home quarantine for 14 days.
The government of Tamil Nadu has made testing compulsory for everyone who is entering Tamil Nadu from other states or union territories. If they test positive for COVID-19, they will be admitted to a hospital and treated there.
For those people whose test results come back negative, they will be told to stay in quarantine in a government facility (institutional quarantine) for seven days if they have come from hotspot states like Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra. If they don’t exhibit symptoms after the seven days, they will be sent to their houses and will be asked to continue home quarantine for seven more days.
Those who have tested negative and have travelled to Tamil Nadu from states and union territories except Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra, shall undergo home quarantine for 14 days.
If these travellers do not have enough facilities at their homes to quarantine themselves, they can request the government to house them in a government quarantine facility.
All those arriving in Tamil Nadu from abroad will be tested. If they test positive for COVID-19, they will be taken to a hospital for treatment.
If they test negative, they will be housed in institutional quarantine or hotels for seven days. After seven days, they will be subject to another COVID-19 test. If this test comes back positive, they will be shifted to a hospital. If that test comes back negative, they will be asked to place themselves in home quarantine for 14 days.
Thus, whoever is returning from abroad shall be in quarantine for a minimum of 21 days if they test negative for COVID-19.
The state government has, however, exempted four categories of travellers from undergoing institutional quarantine norms. They can opt for home quarantine or hospital quarantine after initial testing if they submit an undertaking that they will get themselves admitted in a hospital if their test results come back as positive.
The four exempted categories of travellers are:
People from the above categories will be made to undergo medical examination to confirm the status and must submit a request for exemption in advance to the authorities.