Airshow preparations: Karnataka govt faces challenge keeping Covid out of Aero India

With nearly 15,000 people expected to attend Aero India daily, the government has made it mandatory for attendees to have one negative Covid-19 test report before entry. However, the protocols have been described as imperfect.

According to updated containment protocols released on Sunday, the mandatory Covid-19 test and negative report of an attendee should be less than 72 hours of a person’s scheduled time of entry to the venue. There is no provision for exemption, even if a person has been recently vaccinated.

However, several government officers said that the test requirement is ineffective.

“A one-time test will not cover the duration of the event. People will leave the venue and come back on following days, during which time they could be infected by an external source. A negative certificate obtained on January 31 or February 1 will not cover all three business days of the event,” said a government officer who did not want to be named.

The state government said that the requirement of the RT-PCR test was based on the recommendations of the State Covid-19 Task Force.

‘Multiple tests impractical’

“If we required attendees to get multiple tests done, it would mean going to the other extreme. What would be the duration separating the RT-PCR tests? How many tests would a person who is attending all three business days require? It is impractical. We opted for a balanced protocol,” said Jawaid Akhtar, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare.

According to him, the one-time test report is just one component of the package of measures.

“The others include wearing masks at all times, medical screening, periodic sanitisation of locations and immediate local isolation of anyone seen with symptoms.

“Through these measures, we
are confident we can prevent the spread of the virus at the venue,” Akhtar added.

The government had considered the deployment of fast testing methods at the venue, such as an Abbott System which is being used at the Karnataka International Airport (KIA) to screen international arrivals, but decided against it.

“The Abott is expensive to use. The test results take about one-and-a-half hours to come in and we cannot keep attendees waiting for the results to come in. However, if anyone shows symptoms at the venue, they will be isolated and subjected to an RT-PCR test which delivers a result in four hours,” Akhtar said.

No testing of tradesmen

Another officer taking part in Aero India said most individuals currently working on the expo at Yelahanka Air Force Base were not being subject to testing. “These include tradesmen, fabricators, electricians, construction crews, plus others such as drivers and sales personnel. The matter of Covid safety is a calculated risk,” said the officer, who did not want to be named.