Karnataka Health Minister Dr. K Sudhakar on Thursday said that starting from April 1, all passengers traveling to Bengaluru from other states will require a negative Covid-19 (RT-PCR) report for entry.
Earlier, the state government had made it compulsory for passengers from Punjab, Chandigarh, Maharashtra, and Kerala to carry a negative RT-PCR test report before they could enter Karnataka.
The new rule will apply to all people who are traveling to Bengaluru, and by all modes of transport (Air, Rail, and Road).
The decision comes in the view of the second wave of COVID-19 cases in the state. Dr. K Sudhakar further added that 60% of Covid-19 cases in Bengaluru’s have an interstate travel history.
“Nearly 1,400 cases have been reported in Bengaluru (on Wednesday), which is the highest in the last 4 months. There is a spike in cases every day. It is increasingly found in passengers arriving in the city from other states,” he said.
To distinguish those exposed to the virus, it has been decided to hand-stamp the infected people, he added.
Dr. Sudhakar said that the state government will not allow more than 200 people for social functions in closed premises. For open lawns, the limit is set at 500 guests.
“Certain places, which have high footfall and dense public places, will be sanitized to control the spread. Information regarding the availability of beds and ICUs will be made available online,” Dr. Sudhakar said.
The minister warned people of the state against the mutant version of the virus that spreads rapidly.
“…Therefore, it is requested to be careful for the next 2 months. We are tracing out 20 contacts for each infected person,” he said.
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