New COVID-19 guidelines will lead to disaster: U T Khader

Mangaluru MLA and former health minister U T Khader said that the government's new protocol issued for inter-state travellers during the Unlock Phase 1 will lead to disaster.

It was an illogical decision to make RT-PCR test mandatory only for symptomatic travellers and reduce the institutional quarantine period to seven days. All inter-state travellers coming from high-risk states should undergo Covid-19 test mandatorily. The Congress Task Force will urge the government to amend the issued guidelines, Khader told reporters at Circuit house.

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It is a serious lapse by the government in controlling the spread of Covid-19 in Karnataka. There are instances of a person testing positive after completing seven days of institutional quarantine in Mangaluru.

He said all the inter-state and international travellers entering Karnataka should mandatorily undergo 14 days quarantine and be tested for Covid-19.

The number of Covid-19 tests should be increased during the unlock period as people move freely in public places without restrictions. There are possibilities of the disease spreading at the community-level. Initially, inter-state travellers were made to undergo 28 days of quarantine and later it was reduced to 14 days. Now, by relaxing the rules, the government is placing the lives of people in danger.

He urged the government to clarify what makes them avoid conducting tests for those who come from outside the state.

The government should set up more RT-PCR laboratories and upgrade the existing facilities, said Khader.