Karnataka’s 10 border districts on alert; Health Minister hints at similar rules for flyers from the 2 states
Sudhakar allays fears of another lockdown in Bengaluru or Karnataka
BENGALURU:
In a major Covid-related announcement on Saturday, Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said an RT-PCR negative test report would be mandatory for travellers from Kerala and Maharashtra entering Karnataka. The report should not be older than 72 hours, Dr Sudhakar said. He hinted that the state government was contemplating similar rules for flyers from these states.
Sudhakar said that the situation in the two neighbouring states has rung alarm bells in Karnataka as its border districts like Chamarajnagar Mysuru, Bengaluru, Udupi, Uttara Kannada and Belagavi share boundaries with Kerala and Maharashtra.
He said that Health Department officials will have to work in coordination with the police to check travellers’ Covid status at the border checkposts.
The Health Minister reviewed the situation with Health officials at Vidhana Soudha and appealed to citizens to be take more precautions against the dreaded virus.
In the current situation, the number of cases in Karnataka and Bengaluru is under control, the Minister said. “We do not want a lockdown kind of situation like Maharashtra to return in our state. We do not have any plans to impose a partial lockdown or complete lockdown in Bengaluru or Karnataka. We appeal to all citizens to ensure that they follow Covid-19 guidelines, maintain proper social distancing and wear masks,” Sudhakar said.
BBMP worry
On Friday, BBMP Commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad had similarly urged Bengalureans not to neglect Covid-related precautions and to avoid large social gathering, giving the example of SNN Raj Lake view apartment where 106 positive cases have been reported.
The BBMP Commissioner had also pointed to the situation in neighbouring Maharashtra where a lockdown has been re-imposed in several districts like Yavatmal and Nagpur, and the alarming situation in Kerala where more than 6,000 positive cases are being reported on a daily basis.
