THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/CHENNAI: Close on the heels of Karnataka imposing strict restrictions on travellers from Kerala, Tamil Nadu also made it mandatory for those coming from the state to carry a negative RT-PCR test report or vaccination certificate of two doses from August 5.
The curbs imposed by the two neighbouring states in the wake of Covid surge in Kerala are likely to hit the travel plans of many ahead of the Onam festival. The guidelines are mandatory for people entering these states from Kerala through any mode of transport — road, rail and air.
In the light of the new developments, the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation has stopped all services to Mangaluru from Kerala for the next one week, but it would operate limited services to Bengaluru for passengers with RT-PCR negative certificate.
On Sunday, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian said the state government has made RT-PCR negative certificate mandatory for people coming from Kerala from August 5. “However, those who have taken two doses of vaccine can enter Tamil Nadu without RT-PCR test report. They should have completed 14 days since taking the second dose of the vaccine,” the minister said after inspecting the Covid screening facilities at the Chennai airport. TN will also set up a system to provide Covid test results for air passengers in 13 minutes at the airports.
KSRTC stops services from Kasaragod to Mangaluru
Karnataka had on Saturday made RT-PCR negative result, obtained within 72 hours prior to the journey, mandatory for people from Kerala, irrespective of the vaccination status. To enter Karnataka, airlines were told to issue boarding passes only to passengers carrying RTPCR negative certificates.
In the case of buses, the conductor should ensure that all passengers possess the Covid negative certificates. Railway authorities are responsible for ensuring that all passengers travelling by train have Covid negative report.
Similarly, drivers of vehicles transporting fruits and vegetables to and from the state must undergo Covid tests once every 15 days. Soon after the directive, the KSRTC stopped all its services to Mangaluru from Kasaragod. “In the light of the order issued by the District Collector of Dakshina Kannada, the KSRTC has suspended all its services to Mangaluru, Sullia and Puttur from Kasaragod for next one week starting from Monday. But the KSRTC will operate services (one Scania and 14 deluxe express buses) to Bengaluru via Muthanga and Mananthavady and asked passengers to carry a Covid negative certificate taken within 72 hours before the journey,” said the KSRTC chairman’s office.
Rijas A J, general secretary of Inter-State Bus Operators Association, Kerala, said: “There was only a skeletal inter-state service between Karnataka and Kerala. With the new restrictions, many people may drop their travel plans, especially during Onam.” But, he said it’s also not easy to implement the order as there are a lot of inter-state buses passing through Karnataka to various other states.
“So it will not be easy to keep a tab on a passenger if he gets down at various points from a bus that heads to Andhra Pradesh or Telangana or Maharashtra from Kerala,” he said.