Five-day quarantine for people from Kerala entering Goa

GOA: The Goa government on Sunday extended the state curfew by another week till September 20. The state also made it mandatory for those entering Goa from Kerala to undergo five days of either institutional or home quarantine. For those coming to Goa from Kerala, this will be an added condition, besides carrying a negative RT-PCR report.

The Covid-negative report should be from a test done a maximum of 72 hours prior to entering Goa, state the collectors’ orders.

“Students/employees coming from Kerala shall be subjected to institutional quarantine of five days. The arrangement for the quarantine for students will be done by the administrators/principals of the education institutions. For employees, it shall be done by respective offices/companies/firms,” the order states.

At the end of these five days, the individuals, who have entered from Kerala, will have to undergo another RT-PCR test.

“Arrivals from Kerala, other than students and employees, should produce the RT-PCR negative test report and should be in home quarantine for five days,” read the orders.

Exemptions to these orders will include constitutional functionaries, healthcare professionals and their spouses, and children below two years. Those in dire emergency situations like death in the family, requiring medical treatment, etc, will also be exempt. Passengers in transit through Goa from and to Kerala using any mode of transport will also be exempt from these testing and quarantine rules.

Persons entering Goa for medical emergencies will have to produce proof of the same to claim exemptions from the new conditions.

“Two drivers and one helper per goods vehicle (will also be exempt). However, the police or other authorities will have to scan such persons with a thermal gun and see whether they display any symptoms, and if they display any symptoms, police or other authorities should deny access to such persons within the state of Goa,” read the orders.

Those entering from states other than Kerala will be permitted to enter Goa if they are asymptomatic and fully vaccinated.