MANGALURU: Dakshina Kannada health department opened a temporary swab collection centre at the interstate border in Talapady on Monday.
Interstate commuters arriving without RT-PCR negative reports are made to undergo tests at the border, DHO Dr Kishore Kumar M said.
“The staff are deployed round the clock to work in three shifts. All those arriving from Kerala should mandatorily produce RT-PCR negative certificate not older than 72 hours. Daily commuters from Kasaragod should undergo RT-PCR tests once in 14 days. Those who failed to possess an RT-PCR negative certificate will be made to undergo a test at the check post. Testing facilities are also arranged at two railway stations in the city,” he said.
All educational institutions have been directed to prepare a list of students from Kerala, who had arrived in Dakshina Kannada district since November 12. All those students irrespective of previous tests will be screened and swabs will be collected for RT-PCR tests. Nodal officers have been deputed to the colleges to coordinate with the health department. The paramedical colleges attached to the medical colleges have been asked to get the samples tested in their own laboratories, he said.
Vaccination certificates are mandatory to enter malls and government offices, he said, adding that all the staff in public places have been directed to receive vaccine doses.
On passengers arriving at Mangalore International Airport (MIA), Dr Ashok H, Dakshina Kannada nodal officer for Covid-19, said, those from Kerala and Maharashtra should possess the Covid-19 negative certificate before boarding the flight. If they fail to possess a negative certificate, then they will be tested on their arrival in Mangaluru, he added.
