Testing of international passengers begins, but Karnataka yet to activate designated hospitals to isolate positive cases

TAC to discuss this issues at its meeting on Sunday and recommend protocols

Although thermal screening and 2% random testing of international travellers began at the airports on Saturday following the Centre’s guidelines, there are several gaps in the protocols that need to be followed after symptomatic international passengers leave the airport. As of now, the State has not activated any designated hospitals to isolate international passengers who test positive.

Health Commissioner Randeep D. said the State’s COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) will discuss this issue at its next meeting on Sunday and recommend protocols.

During the emergence of the Omicron variant, Karnataka had identified Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College and Research Institution (Bowring and Lady Curzon Medical College Hospital) in Bengaluru and Wenlock District Hospital in Mangaluru as designated facilities for isolation. Besides, some private hospitals too had set aside isolation facilities.

According to the Centre’s guidelines issued on Thursday, passengers found to be symptomatic during screening at the airport should be swabbed and immediately isolated at a designated medical facility.

The Health Commissioner said although Bowring and Wenlock hospitals will remain the designated facilities for symptomatic and positive passengers, they would be activated based on further guidelines from the Centre and the TAC.

To minimise the risk of entry of new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to India, the Centre has directed all airports to start testing of 2% of the total passengers on a flight on arrival. “... They will be allowed to leave the airport after giving the samples. If such travellers’ samples are tested positive, their samples should be further sent for genomic testing at INSACOG laboratory network. They should be treated/isolated as per the standard protocol,” the guidelines stated.

“The risk of spreading the infection is high if a symptomatic person goes home and later tests positive, like what happened with international travellers in the first wave. It will be difficult to trace the contacts and isolate them,” said a TAC source.