Coronavirus | Andhra Pradesh adds Telangana, Karnataka to high-risk category States list, issues fresh guidelines for travellers

All passengers will be asked to carry out a mandatory 14-day home quarantine

For train passengers, test swabs would be collected at the mobile buses near the station for 10% of the travellers

The Andhra Pradesh government has added Telangana and Karnataka to the high-risk category States and have issued fresh guidelines for home and institutional quarantine for both domestic and international travellers.

Telangana and Karnataka - classified as low-risk in the earlier categorisation - join New Delhi, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu as States with a COVID-19 high-risk.

Until now the returnees from the Gulf countries were being quarantined for fourteen days, but according to the new guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, all foreign returnees travelling by air must undergo a mandatory institutional quarantine for a period of seven days. A COVID-19 test might also be conducted between the fifth and seventh day.

For domestic airlines passengers, there will be random testing of 10% of the travellers based on seat numbers. Citizens older than 60 and children under 10 will be given preference. After the test swabs are collected at the airport, they will be allowed to quarantine at home for 14 days.

For train passengers, test swabs would be collected at the mobile buses near the station for 10% of the travellers. The electronic manifest of passengers will be recorded for reference.

In case the random test shows positive, further action will be initiated as per the existing health protocol. Irrespective of tests, all passengers must undergo home quarantine for 14 days.

Test swabs will be collected at the border check posts for 10% of the people travelling by road from other States.

However, all the persons coming from other States have been advised strict home quarantine for 14 days.

The details of passengers on domestic flights and roads will be captured through the e-pass QR code by officials.

In the absence of an e-pass, the details will be registered in Spandana portal.

The details of all travellers in the MSS portal will be tracked by the Local ward secretariat/Village Secretariat and PHC Medical Officer for supervision during the home quarantine.

Based on the test results, those identified positive will be shifted to the COVID Hospitals and COVID Care Centers.

The ASHA and ward/village volunteers will also conduct daily inspections for those under home quarantine and record the details in the GSWS App.