A week after arrival in Bengaluru, travelers will be tested; K Sudhakar

Health Minister K Sudhakar said on Friday that travelers will be tested a week after arriving in Bengaluru and which will be mandatory only for those staying for more than a week, not for those on shorter visits, a day after saying that Covid-negative certificates from RT-PCR tests will be made mandatory for all those coming to Bengaluru from other states.

Further, he mentioned that only those from Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, and Chandigarh would be needed to undergo testing.

However, neither the state health department nor the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has issued travel-related guidelines yet.

“The RT-PCR test is mandatory for those who are going to stay in Bengaluru beyond a week and not for those who are on business trips or will use Bengaluru as a transit point,” Sudhakar said on Friday. “The test that will be performed 72 hours before departure cannot be considered legitimate, since this does not mean he or she is Covid-free,” Sudhakar said when asked about travelers carrying Covid-negative certificates. He also said that As a result, we’ve agreed to test them after a week of travel. Covid test is accessible at all of the city’s health facilities.

He did not say how travelers using different modes of transportation will be tracked and subjected to tests once they arrive.

So far, the state is only asking for negative RT-PCR reports from people traveling from Punjab, Maharashtra, and Kerala. However, this is now applicable for all. The RT-PCR test results should be no more than 72 hours old at the time of departure. Anyone who does not have a test report will be screened for COVID-19 at the entry points and placed in quarantine before a negative result for Coronavirus infection is received.