Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has decided to suspend air travel from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, saying a large number of people arriving from these states have tested positive for Covid-19.
The decision to stop flights from these states, which have high number of coronavirus cases, for the time being was taken at a cabinet meet, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said. He also said the existing bar on entry of people by road from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat into Karnataka would continue until further orders.
As the announcement caused a flutter, the minister later clarified that the state government has requested the civil aviation ministry to "restrict" the number of flights coming into Karnataka from these five states as they have registered a record number of cases in the past few days. Madhuswamy said the government has written to the Union ministry and is awaiting a response.
The state’s request is based on two points: one, the majority of Covid-19 cases reported in Karnataka in the recent past have travel histories to these states; and two, institutional quarantine facilities in the state are likely to be overwhelmed if there is a sudden spurt in the number of passengers.
When domestic air travel resumed in the country last Monday after nearly two months of lockdown, Karnataka stipulated a mandatory seven days’ institutional quarantine for passengers coming from seven states - including Maharashtra, Gujarat, TN, Rajasthan and MP - which have a high prevalence of cases.
Madhuswamy said existing restrictions on entry by road from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat would continue till further orders. "Since a large number of people who have come from these states have tested positive and it will be difficult to manage quarantine if more people come, we have decided to stop (arrivals) by imposing restrictions… until some people leave quarantine facilities and return home," he said. In effect, applications will continue to be processed via the Seva Sindhu portal as before but, sources said, approvals are likely to be delayed until space in quarantine facilities frees up.
Quarantine norms relaxed
The state government on Sunday announced a number of relaxations in the quarantine rules for the people travelling to the state, except those coming from Maharashtra. As per the new guidelines, every person travelling to the state has to make mandatory self-registration through Seva-Sandhu portal. People, except those from Maharashtra, will be required to spent 14 days in the home quarantine. If a passenger is found symptomatic upon arrival, they will be shifted to a dedicated Covid-19 facility for isolation. However, those coming from Maharashtra will have to spend seven days in institutional quarantine, followed by a home quarantine for the same period. Those on short business trips are exempted from institutional quarantine given they show a return ticket of a date within 7 days and a Covid negative test report from a government recognised lab. Pregnant women, children below 10 years, and people above 65 years will be sent to home quarantine.
