Covid-19 crisis: Karnataka flip-flops on flights from high-risk states

After announcing on Thursday afternoon that Karnataka would not allow interstate air travel from five high-risk states, namely Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, the state government government later backtracked on its decision. 
 

In a clarification issued later in the evening, the state government said it had requested the Civil Aviation Ministry to reduce the number of flights, originating from these five states to Karnataka, in view of the high number of Covid-19 cases prevalent there. According to the schedule, 30 flights are scheduled daily from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan to Karnataka.

Karnataka's decision, aimed at containing the spread of infection in the state, could lead to a reworking of airline schedules, flight cancellations and bring further misery to passengers.
 

“Karnataka has appealed to the Civil Aviation Ministry to take steps to lessen the air traffic to the state, with the sacred intention that there may not be adequate quarantine facilities, if there is huge turn out in a short span of time,” said Karnataka Law Minister J C Madhuswamy.
 

Restrictions have also been imposed on people coming by road from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat to ensure adequate quarantine facilities in Karnataka.

The state recorded 115 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday of which 95 were interstate passengers. According to the state’s Covid-19 war room data, 1,111 positive cases have been reported in the state with travel history from Maharashtra.

Earlier during the day after a cabinet meeting, Madhuswamy said that the government had decided to stop air traffic from five states as there was a likelihood that cases could rise.

"The government has decided to stop air traffic from five states from where many people are coming as there is a likelihood that cases could rise," he said. "This will continue to be in force for some time because the number of infected in these states is high," he added.

“There are also many asymptomatic cases coming in from Maharashtra and we have been testing many people. We are also seeing despondency among those in quarantine who have tested negative,” he had earlier said.

 

With the total number of cases rising each day and having crossed the 2,500 mark, the state has also decided to relax institutional quarantine rules and will be allowing home quarantine after 7 days to patients who are asymptomatic. Before shifting to home quarantine, these patients will have to make an entry in the Quarantine Watch app and get their hands stamped.

Karnataka had earlier made it mandatory for those from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh to undergo a mandatory 7-day quarantine when flight services resumed on Monday.

Top 3 source-wise break up of covid cases
 

Maharashtra: 1,111

Contacts: 805

International travel history: 105
 

Source: Karnataka state covid-19 war room