Surveillance on the Kerala border has been stepped up with reports of many stranded persons from Kodagu availing themselves of passes in the neighbouring State to enter the district with the State government, acting on the Centre’s directive, permitting one-time inter-state and inter-district travel following easing of lockdown curbs.
The entry to Kodagu district, which is in green zone, is only through Koppa checkpost in Kushalnagar bordering Mysuru district and Sampaje checkpost bordering Dakshina Kannada district.
“It has been brought to the notice of Kodagu district administration that many people obtained passes through COVID-19 Jagratha portal to enter Kodagu from Kerala. The Karnataka government has issued SOPs to travellers from other States, including to those travelling from Kerala, and the guidelines should be complied with,” a note from the district administration said on Wednesday.
As per the SOP, a person will be allowed to enter Karnataka if he or she carries a valid e-pass issued by Seva Sindhu portal. Entry will not be permitted with other passes. The Sevasindhu application will be accepted only if it is submitted with authentic documents declaring that the applicant was an original resident of Kodagu. As of now, there are no entry or exit points to Kodagu from Kerala.
The persons entering Karnataka from other States may have to undergo home/institutional/ hospital quarantine for 14 days based on the decision taken by the medical screening committee at the checkpost, the note said.
Meanwhile, in a message shared to the deputy commissioners by the Health Commissioner, there is no home quarantine for asymptomatic persons moving within the State / inter-district movement.
Mysuru Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G. Sankar shared the message he received from the Chief Secretary and the Health Commissioner with the mediapersons. The DCs had been told that no quarantine stamping should be done on the hands of travellers belonging to Karnataka if they show no symptoms.
Barring this, all other procedures that are being followed including data collection and temperature reading should be complied with. Also, all activities at the checkposts to continue like all these days without stamping of those travelling within the State if they do not have COVID-19 symptoms. Stamping should be done only if the travellers carry Coronavirus symptoms such as fever, cough, running nose breathlessness etc., according to the message circulated to the media here.
