<p>The health department has withdrawn its circular dated December 31, which mandated seven days' home quarantine for international passengers arriving from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and South Korea.</p>.<p>Home quarantine had been mandated then as per the recommendations of the state Covid technical advisory committee (TAC). Karnataka was the only state to implement this rule.</p>.<p>The department’s new circular dated January 2 says the previous circular has been withdrawn and that GoI guidelines on international passengers should be followed.</p>.<p>GoI guidelines only mandate a negative RT-PCR test report for people coming from these countries. However, the state's new circular does not specify the reasons for the withdrawal.</p>.<p>Rarely has the state government withdrawn an order that was given based on TAC recommendations.</p>.<p>Speaking to <em>DH</em>, T K Anil Kumar, principal secretary (health), said that the order was withdrawn to comply with GoI guidelines.</p>.<p>“We have just aligned ourselves with the GoI guidelines as usual. International travel is the subject matter of GoI and a uniform process is followed across the country. And the GoI guidelines specify what to do with people from these countries,” he said. </p>.<p>The GoI guidelines came out on December 29 and 30, and the state’s quarantine circular on December 31. However, Kumar said that they saw a physical copy of the GoI guidelines only on Monday, January 2, and the decision to withdraw the state circular was taken then. </p>
<p>The health department has withdrawn its circular dated December 31, which mandated seven days' home quarantine for international passengers arriving from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and South Korea.</p>.<p>Home quarantine had been mandated then as per the recommendations of the state Covid technical advisory committee (TAC). Karnataka was the only state to implement this rule.</p>.<p>The department’s new circular dated January 2 says the previous circular has been withdrawn and that GoI guidelines on international passengers should be followed.</p>.<p>GoI guidelines only mandate a negative RT-PCR test report for people coming from these countries. However, the state's new circular does not specify the reasons for the withdrawal.</p>.<p>Rarely has the state government withdrawn an order that was given based on TAC recommendations.</p>.<p>Speaking to <em>DH</em>, T K Anil Kumar, principal secretary (health), said that the order was withdrawn to comply with GoI guidelines.</p>.<p>“We have just aligned ourselves with the GoI guidelines as usual. International travel is the subject matter of GoI and a uniform process is followed across the country. And the GoI guidelines specify what to do with people from these countries,” he said. </p>.<p>The GoI guidelines came out on December 29 and 30, and the state’s quarantine circular on December 31. However, Kumar said that they saw a physical copy of the GoI guidelines only on Monday, January 2, and the decision to withdraw the state circular was taken then. </p>