Karnataka makes negative RT-PCR report mandatory for travellers from Kerala, Maharashtra

Bengaluru, July 31: Amid steady spike in COVID-19 cases, the Karnataka government has made it mandatory for travellers from Kerala and Maharashtra to produce a negative RT-PCR test report irrespective of their vaccination status.

Persons arriving from Kerala, Maharashtra should produce a negative RT-PCR certificate, that is not older than 72 hours. The condition applies for all the passengers arrivingto Karnataka by flight, bus, train and personal transport.

Railway authorities shall be responsible for ensuring that all passengers travelling by trains carry negative RT-PCR certificates.For all the passengers travelling by bus, the bus conductor shall ensure that they possess RT-PCR negative certificates.

Airliners shall issue boarding passes boarding passes only to the passengers carring a negative RT-PCR certificate, that is not older than 72 hours.

Deputy Commissioners of the districts bordering Kerala -- Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, and Mysore -- and Maharashtra -- Belagavi, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi and Bidar -- shall establish check posts and make arrangements to deploy necessary staff to ensure that all the vehicles (driver, passengers, helper/cleaner) entering Karnataka are checked for the compliance of the above requirement.

"lt's mandatory for students and public visiting Karnataka daily for education, business and other reasons to undergo RT-PCR test once in 15 days and possess the negative test report," said the government in the order.