Following recommendations by the State’s COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), the State Health Department has issued guidelines for international travel arrivals from countries that have seen a spurt in COVID-19 cases. According to the guidelines, random testing of 2% of passengers arriving from such countries will be taken up.
While cases are on the rise in South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, New Zealand, Russia, Australia and China, there are direct flights only from Japan and Thailand to Bengaluru.
“Hence, health officials have been directed to take up tele-monitoring of all travellers arriving from Japan and Thailand at Bengaluru and Mangaluru International Airports. They will be first screened (thermal scanning) at the airports and samples of symptomatic persons will be subjects to RTPCR testing. All positive samples will be genome sequenced and the infected persons will be treated as per existing protocols in the State,” stated an official circular issued on Saturday.