Seven from Maharashtra quarantined in Hubballi after they fail to furnish negative RT-PCR reports
HUBBALLI: The Hubballi Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) has sent seven persons from Maharashtra to quarantine centres after they failed to furnish RT-PCR test reports. The civic body is strictly monitorinf the buses coming from Maharashtra in a bid to prevent the spread of covid-19 in Hubballi-Dharwad twin cities.
After the spike in Covid-19 cases in neighbouring Maharashtra and Kerala, the Karnataka government made it compulsory for the commuters entering the state to bring RT-PCR negative reports not older than 72 hours. The twin cities, which has more connection with Maharashtra, gets commuters from the neighbouring state and also there are many direct buses from here.
The civic body has deployed its health officials to monitor the buses coming from Maharashtra. The officials have collected schedules of NWKRTC and all private buses and visit the bus stations to check the reports from the passengers.
In the last week, seven passengers entering the city failed to get RT-PCR. All of them have been sent to Anjuman Hospital for a week-long quarantine. Any person who is visiting on medical growunds are exempted from showing the RT-PCR report.
Officials at Hubballi airport and railway station have also mandated RT-PCR reports for the passengers from the two neighbouring states and they are strictly following the rules. The district administration has deployed staff to monitor passenger movement.
HDMC commissioner Suresh Itnal said that private bus operators and the NWKRTC have been warned. If any travel agency lets a passenger board the bus without a report, an FIR will be registered against them under the Disaster and Epidemic Acts.