Karnataka: No RT-PCR report check for international passengers at airports

BENGALURU: With Covid-19 cases declining, the Karnataka government on Monday announced that checking of RT-PCR reports of international travelers on arrival at airports in Karnataka will be discontinued with immediate effect. This was among several Covid-related restrictions eased in the state.
After considering the consistent decline in the number of daily Covid cases, test positivity rate, and overall decline in active cases, the state’s technical advisory committee had recommended for opening up of more activities in the state, on October 17.

In an order issued on Monday, chief secretary P Ravi Kumar said that henceforth checking of Covid RT-PCR test reports of international passengers

 on arrival will be discontinued. Instead, the passengers will have to mandatorily upload their RT-PCR reports on Air Suvidha Portal and respective airlines will have to check the same the passengers are allowed to board the flight.

Also, international passengers will not be checked for oxygen saturation levels unless he or she shows symptoms like fever, cough, cold and difficulty in breathing. The order has also directed the reorganising of the monitoring of passengers via automated thermal cameras.

The order said that with respect to the protocol of quarantine for arrivals from the United Kingdom, the prevailing guidelines issued by the Union ministry concerned will be followed. It added that a clarification regarding the same will be issued by the health and family welfare department.