Kerala sets new regulations for international visitors

According to the state government's revised rules released on Saturday, all international visitors to Kerala will be subjected to symptom surveillance.

If a traveller is discovered to be symptomatic, they will be subjected to an RT-PCR test, and if positive, their samples will be sent for genome sequencing.

It further stated that random testing of 2% of incoming overseas passengers will continue, with the state bearing the cost and airline officers selecting the passengers.

Home quarantine is now "recommended" for all new passengers, according to the rules. “They must continue to self-monitor for seven days from the arrival date and, if symptoms develop, must undergo Covid testing."

Passengers have been warned to avoid crowds and gatherings in enclosed spaces. They will also be required to do a quick antigen test on the eighth day of their arrival.

The federal government changed its requirements for overseas passengers last month, stating that they do not need to stay in a Covid isolation facility.

Passengers who test positive for Covid-19, on the other hand, must isolate themselves at home and adhere to all safety precautions. Even if they test negative, they will have to stay in quarantine for seven days at home.

Kerala's state health department reported 38,684 new cases of Covid-19 in the 24 hours leading up to Friday evening.

The overall number of cases of the disease in the state has now risen to 62,11,116.

In the same time frame, 41,037 persons recovered from the virus, bringing the overall number of recoveries in the state to 57,86,949.

The lethal virus claimed the lives of up to 28 people. In addition, 197 deaths that occurred before June 2021 but were not initially included in the state death toll were classified as "Covid deaths."

With this, the total number of people who have died as a result of the virus in the state now stands at 57,296.

In Kerala, there are now 3,66,120 active Covid-19 cases.