Passengers from Maharashtra need negative COVID-19 report to enter Karnataka

Passengers coming into Mumbai are also being tested, such as seen here at the Dadar station on Thursday. Pic/Ashish Raje

Rail restrictions are back. More and more states are now being cautious with travellers from Maharashtra. As reports of surging COVID-19 cases emerge, a number of states have enforced guidelines and restrictions on train travel and passengers from Maharashtra. From Friday, those arriving by train to destinations in Karnataka from Maharashtra, will have to carry negative COVID-19 test reports before they embark on the journey, as per the new special surveillance measures in effect.

As of now it was only Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan that had listed guidelines and regulations for passengers from Maharashtra, but on Wednesday night, the Karnataka government too stepped up the move on all passengers entering the state via road, rail and airlines.

"In view of the surge of COVID-19 cases in Kerala, Maharashtra, as well as in Punjab and Chandigarh, it has been made mandatory for all the passengers coming from these places to carry RT-PCR negative certificates not older than 72 hours at the time of arrival into Karnataka. This rule will come into effect from March 25. Railway authorities shall be responsible for ensuring that all passengers travelling by trains carry negative RT-PCR certificates," Javed Akhtar, additional chief secretary to the government, department of health and family welfare, Karnataka, stated in an official circular.

Following this, a note to all the railways in Maharashtra sent from South Western Railway, headquartered at Hubballi in Karnataka, stated that special surveillance measures for arrivals from Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab and Chandigarh are in place. The same shall be effective for all outstation passengers from March 26, so passengers boarding trains which will arrive in the state on that date will be required to follow the directives.

However, exemptions will be given to constitutional functionaries, healthcare professionals, children below the age of two and those in dire (emergency) situations (death in the family, emergency medical treatment, etc.). The swabs of passengers arriving in an emergency situation shall be collected on arrival in Karnataka with necessary details like phone number, address, etc. after due verification from their IDs. On receipt of the RT-PCR test report, further action will be taken as per the state protocol, the note by Akhtar added.

Passenger associations laud move
Passenger associations welcomed the decision and said that this move was much better than enforcing a lockdown and stopping trains. "In the first wave, we have learnt what is good and what is bad and how it can be controlled. It is a matter of public safety and passengers need to be careful while travelling and follow COVID-19 medical protocols meticulously," an appeal by zonal railway consultative committee members said.