Travellers from Kerala will need COVID-19 negative RT-PCR report to enter Karnataka
Bengaluru, Jul 1: The Karnataka government on Thursday ordered that all people entering the state from Kerala need to produce a negative RT-PCR report.
However, those who have received both doses of COVID-19 vaccine and possess the certificate for the same are exempted from producing the negative RT-PCR certificate.
The negative RT-PCR report not older than 72 hours shall be compulsorily produced by the passengers coming to Karnataka by flight, bus, train, taxi and personal transport, etc, chief secretary P Ravi Kumar said in his order.
This will also be applicable for all flights originating from Kerala to Karnataka.
Airlines shall issue boarding passes only to the passengers carrying RT-PCR negative certificates not older than 72 hours, while Railway authorities and bus conductors shall be responsible for ensuring that all passengers travelling by trains and buses carry a similar certificate, it said.
Deputy Commissioners of districts bordering Kerala like Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Mysuru and Chamarajanagara have been asked to make arrangements to deploy necessary staff at checkposts to ensure that all vehicles entering Karnataka are checked.
It is mandatory for students and the public visiting Karnataka daily for education, business and other reasons to undergo RT-PCR tests once in 15 days and possess the negative report.
Those permitted exemptions for negative RT-PCR certificates include constitutional functionaries and health professionals, children below 2 years, and those in dire emergency situations (death in family, medical treatment etc, but their swabs will be collected on arrival with necessary details).
According to the order, Kerala continues to be threatened with the spread of COVID 19 virus, and further, INSACOG (a consortium of laboratories for whole Genome sequencing in the context of COVID 19 pandemic) has intimated that Delta Plus variant of COVID 19 virus, which is currently a Variant of Concern (VOC), has been reported in certain districts of Kerala.
The prevailing COVID 19 situation in Kerala entails taking special surveillance measures to prevent the spread into the bordering districts of the State, the order said.
Hence directions have been issued for taking special surveillance measures, for persons arriving from Kerala, with immediate effect, it added.
The government had earlier this week ordered that all people entering Karnataka from Maharashtra need to produce a negative RT-PCR report or show proof that they have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Special surveillance measures for persons arriving from Kerala-reg.
— K'taka Health Dept (@DHFWKA) July 1, 2021
ಕೇರಳದಿಂದ ಆಗಮಿಸುವ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಗಳ ಕುರಿತು ವಿಶೇಷ ಕಣ್ಗಾವಲು ಕ್ರಮಗಳನ್ನು ಅನುಸರಿಸುವ ಬಗ್ಗೆ.@CMofKarnataka @mla_sudhakar @drashwathcn @GovindKarjol @laxmansavadi @siddaramaiah @hd_kumaraswamy @DKShivakumar @BSBommai pic.twitter.com/Rp66Pq6tri
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
