Flying out of Bengaluru? Here is a look at quarantine rules

Air passengers arriving and departing from the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) here are often at their wit’s end, figuring out Covid-19 mandated rules in Karnataka and the states they are heading to.

Here is a look at the rules (updated until April 16) on negative RT-PCR certificates, home quarantine and other requirements here and in other states, as indicated by an Air India circular.

For travellers arriving in Karnataka, the government circulars issued on February 20 and March 22, 2021, stand: A negative RT-PCR report — not older than 72 hours — is mandatory for passengers arriving from Punjab, Chandigarh, Maharashtra and Kerala.

The negative report will be verified by the airline staff at the time of boarding.

However, children below two years are exempted from this rule.

Credit: DH photo.

In the case of an emergency such as death in the family or medical treatment, a 72-hour gap may not be possible.

On arrival, the swab of such passengers will be collected, and once the RT-PCR test report is available, further action will be taken as per the state protocol. Air India recently released a list of rules in all the states and union territories, updated until April 16.

However, since rules are likely to be updated frequently, the airline said it was passengers’ sole responsibility to ensure his or her eligibility to comply with the entry regulations of the respective state governments.

RT-PCR reports

Those heading from Bengaluru and other Karnataka airports to the following states will have to carry a negative RT-PCR report not older than 72 hours at the time of landing: Assam, Nagaland, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Manipur and Meghalaya. For those without the report, Meghalaya insists on a test to be done at its airport. It would be chargeable.

The negative report was also mandated by the Andaman and Ladakh governments, but the test needs to be taken only 48 hours prior to the arrival time.

Himachal Pradesh and Mizoram have a stricter rule, with the test to be done 96 hours before landing at their airports.

Home quarantine

A 14-day home-quarantine was mandated for arriving asymptomatic passengers by Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Kerala and Maharashtra.

Himachal Pradesh also insists on 14 days, but seven of these should be institutional quarantine. Delhi and Ladakh have mandated only a seven-day home quarantine.

As of April 16, no quarantine was mandated for asymptomatic passengers from Karnataka arriving in Goa, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand if the stay was for seven days or less.