Swab to be collected at bus stops, railway stations; people remain in institutional quarantine till test reports come
Starting this week , people from Kerala and Maharashtra entering the city without RT-PCR negative reports must undergo institutional quarantine till they receive their COVID-19 test report.
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) chief commissioner Gaurav Gupta on Monday said that separate teams have been deployed at major bus stops and railway stations to screen the large number of people coming from Kerala and Maharashtra.
“It is mandatory for migrants from both States to submit the RT-PCR negative reports obtained within 72 hours. If the RT-PCR test is not submitted, the health care team will collect swabs for tests and the travellers will remain in institutional quarantine until the report is received,” he said, adding that mandatory checks are being conducted on people arriving at airports and checkposts.
Mr. Gupta said that currently in the city, below 500 positive cases are being reported and stringent measures being taken to contain the spread of the infection.
On Monday, the BBMP held a meeting with other stakeholders, including the city police and Bengaluru Urban district administration.
Inspection teams
Bengaluru Urban DC J. Manjunath said that as people are arriving via road from Kerala and Maharashtra, inspection teams have been deployed at checkposts. RT-PCR test reports from within 72 hours will be verified. In case of no RT-PCR test report, swabs will be collected for tests and travellers will remain in institutional quarantine until the report is received. He said he has already spoken to the Rural SP in this regard, and the inspection work will take place more effectively.
BBMP Administrator Rakesh Singh directed officials to create awareness among people and penalise those flouting norms. The city police have been asked to heighten surveillance in the city during the night curfew between 10 p.m and 5 a.m.
“Officials must ensure that rules are followed in crowded areas like markets, malls, temples, hotels and restaurants. A team of BBMP officials should work in tandem with police personnel to ensure these are followed and in case they are flouted, a fine must be imposed,” the Chief Commissioner instructed.
He also said the BBMP has been taking a number of precautionary measures such as physical triage, contact tracing, isolation, and areas with three or more cases are made containment zones to stop the spread.
Third wave
When asked about whether the BBMP is prepared to face the third wave, he said that infrastructure put in place earlier has not been dismantled and measures, including deployment of health staff at PHCs, have been prioritised.
Replying to a question on the demand for vaccination, he said that in July, doses were not received as anticipated. He added that 62% of the eligible population has received the first dose of vaccination and 17% have received two doses. Mr. Gupta said there will be higher demand for vaccination in the coming days and he is hopeful of getting more dosages from the government. He also said that the BBMP has put in place infrastructure to vaccinate 1 lakh to 1.5 lakh people.
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