Institutional quarantine for seven days will now be mandatory for asymptomatic passengers coming from only Maharashtra.
An order issued by the Department of Health and Family Welfare states that those coming from Maharashtra will have to undergo seven days of institutional quarantine followed by seven days of home quarantine. It has, however, stated that pregnant women, children below the age of 10, those above 60 years, people with serious illnesses or in distress, and those who have had a death in the family were exempted from this and could be subjected to 14-day home quarantine.
Prior to this, passengers coming from six States — Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh — had to undergo a seven-day institutional quarantine followed by a seven-day home quarantine.
The order issued on Sunday also states that travellers from Maharashtra who have a COVID-19 negative test certificate from an Indian Council of Medical Research-approved lab that is not more than two days old are exempted from the seven-day institutional quarantine.
Similarly, the order states that business travellers coming from Maharashtra should show a COVID-19 negative certificate and a return flight or train ticket that is seven days from the date of arrival. If they don’t have a COVID-19 negative test certificate, they should go for institutional quarantine and get a test done within two days of arrival. They will be exempted from institutional quarantine if their results come back negative.
Other States
Meanwhile, people coming from other States will have to follow a 14-day home quarantine. If home quarantine is not possible in case they are a large family living in a house without enough separate rooms or in slums/overcrowded areas, they can go for institutional quarantine.
Business travellers from other States will have to show a flight or train return ticket and will be exempted from hand stamping and quarantine. The order also states that all travellers will have to mandatorily register on the Seva Sindhu portal before entering Karnataka. Now, however, no approval is required and they have to provide name, address, and mobile number.
In rural areas, those under home quarantine will have to give information to two neighbours and a gram panchayat task force will shoulder the overall responsibility. A three-member team in the village will monitor the situation. In urban areas, they will have to inform two neighbours, the residents’ welfare association, apartment owners’ association. A ward-level team will be vested with responsibility.
The authorities will file FIRs if there is any violation.
