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Karnataka eases travel bar: no quarantine for inter-state travellers

Mandatory requirements for travellers entering Karnataka will be “discontinued henceforth”, an order issued by state Health Secretary Jawaid Akhtar on Monday stated.

The Karnataka government on Monday withdrew all inter-state and intra-state travel restrictions imposed to check the Covid-19 crisis, including the mandatory 14-day home quarantine for asymptomatic people coming in from other states.

Mandatory requirements for travellers entering Karnataka will be “discontinued henceforth”, an order issued by state Health Secretary Jawaid Akhtar on Monday stated.

These requirements so far included registration of people coming into Karnataka on a state portal, medical check-up at border posts, bus and train stations, district-level screening, hand-stamping, 14-day quarantine, isolation and testing.

The removal of restrictions movement of people comes in the wake of an August 22 letter from Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla to all states about local-level travel restrictions on people and goods despite the Centre’s July 29 Unlock 3 order removing all such restrictions. Restrictions imposed at the state and district levels were “impacting the supply chain, resulting in disruption of economic activities and employment besides affecting supply of goods service,” Bhalla had stated in the letter.

The Karnataka government’s circular issued on Monday stated: “Recently, Government of lndia and Government of Karnataka have issued guidelines for unlock 3 that there shall be no restrictions on inter-state movement of persons and goods. ln this context, and under the present circumstances, the revised guidelines are issued for lnter-State Travellers to Karnataka…” Travellers who are asymptomatic on arrival can go to work or engage in activities “without any requirement of 14 days [of] home quarantine” but should monitor health for 14 days from the date of their arrival for any symptoms of Covid-19, according to the circular.

“This revised circular shall apply to all inter-State Travellers arriving in Karnataka from all States/UTs including business travellers, students, labourers coming for work, transit travellers, etc. irrespective of their purpose of visit or duration of stay in the State,” it states.