Karnataka & Kerala: Difference in home quarantine rules stump travellers

Two Bengalureans, one heading to Kerala and another returning to the city discovered two vastly different rules for home quarantine, last week. Their experiences showed just why one state had the complex system of Covid-19 case-monitoring under tight control and how laxity reigned in
another.

For Muzaffar Ahmed (named changed), the travel plan to his home in Kerala’s Malappuram district had begun to get tough right from the day he applied for a pass. “The pass was approved only after a panchayat member went to my house and confirmed that it had a quarantine room with attached bathroom. Neighbours too were informed,” he recalled.

But the pass was only the first step. Reaching the Muthanga checkpost on the Karnataka-Kerala border by a private taxi on June 30, Ahmed and the driver were stopped by the Karnataka police. “They checked our passes and reminded the driver to be back within 24 hours.”

Kerala policemen at the Karnataka checkpost collected Ahmed’s pass details and mobile number, before a full-fledged inspection at a makeshift facility ahead of the Kerala checkpost. “Our vehicle was sanitized, and at a shed with about 20 health personnel, we had to wash our hands with soap and sanitizer.”

Asha workers posed the duo a flurry of questions on symptoms. “After a thermal screening, detailed instructions on the home quarantine followed. They fed our details into a system, generating an SMS on my phone. We were finally on our way after a revenue official gave us the
green signal.”

Before they reached Malappuram, an Asha worker called to check whether they were on track. “Another call came when I arrived, reiterating the home quarantine instructions. I was told not to be in touch with anyone, my parents included. My wife and child had already been shifted.”

Next day, the local police sub-inspector called Ahmed and strictly warned him not to get out of the room for 14 days. “Asha workers then visited the house, after which a health inspector called to check whether the others had called,” he recalled, awaiting more such calls over the next
week.

Kannur, Kerala to Bengaluru:

For HR professional Sajan Kumar (name changed), the road trip from Kerala’s Kannur to Bengaluru was an entirely different experience. En route to the Karnataka border, he and his family were stopped at multiple points every time they entered or left a town. “At the first stop our details (including photos) were collected and fed into their handheld devices. The details were verified at every stop,” he narrated.

But a surprise awaited them at the border. “As opposed to the rules we had read, there was no stamping, no temperature check and I'm not even sure they verified the number of people in the vehicle. They only checked the pass validity,” said Kumar.

No instruction was given on quarantine. “When I asked about it, I was told to go home. After that we weren't stopped anywhere although there were a few police check posts on the way.” The family had installed Arogya Setu, Quarantine Watch and Apthamithra apps, which were not verified at the border. “We assumed based on the app someone might track us and give us a call.”

The next day, Kumar recalled, “we started our quest of making our quarantine official. We called various numbers only to keep getting bounced off. We were being royally ignored. Finally we got through to a health official who asked us to pass on our address details. He told us we would get a visit from the health department soon. No one turned up.”

The family’s quarantine period had got over quite a while back. “Till date, no one has enquired. Looking at the numbers of both the states, we can conclude that this pandemic can only be controlled through extensive contact tracing and a combined effort of the administration and health department starting right from the grass root level,” observed Kumar.