Quarantine rules eased for travellers to Karnataka
According to the feedback we received from the passengers who went on Tuesday, they were all treated like Covid-19 patients.” Mohammad Naveed, president, Anivasi Kanandigaru Dubai
DUBAI – The state government of Karnataka in India has relaxed quarantine norms for international passengers returning home as part of the Vande Bharat Mission, Khaleej Times has learnt.
Pregnant women, children below 10 years of age, senior citizens above the age of 80, and terminally ill passengers are exempt from institution quarantine. Instead, they shall be ‘stamped’ and sent for a mandatory 14-day home quarantine. All other passengers shall be subject to the 14-day institutional quarantine in Covid-19 care centres.
Those who cannot afford quarantine facilities will also be provided with free accommodation in schools and colleges, equipped with mobile toilets.
Dubai-based Kannadiga community leaders have said the decision was made after immense pressure from local communities, who called for better management of the process.
According to a circular issued by the State Government of Karnataka on May 13, the standard operating procedure (SOP) for domestic and international travellers arriving in the state has been revised. Khaleej Times has seen a copy of the circular.
All passengers belonging to certain categories shall be subject to a check-up by a medical team where they will be tested for temperature, oxygen saturation, and symptoms of Covid-19.
Praveen Shetty, Karnataka non-resident Indian (KNRI) Association president, and Mohammad Naveed, Dubai-based businessman and president of Anivasi Kanandigaru Dubai, said the decision was largely made after the gaps in arrangements have been observed when the first batch of passengers arrived in Mangalore on Tuesday.
Naveed said, “We discussed this in detail with the deputy CM yesterday. According to the feedback we received from the passengers who went on Tuesday, they were all treated like Covid-19 patients.”
He said the passengers, including pregnant women, had to wait for five hours without food, water, and they were not allowed to use toilets.
There were 177 passengers on the flight to on the flight to Mangalore, according to ConsulGeneral of India to Dubai Vipul.
“A lot of priority was given to pregnant women. There were 39 pregnant women, 15 people over the age of 70, 27 medical emergency cases, and some workers and students,” he said.