India: Karnataka and Kerala expand entry testing rules as officials extend COVID-19 measures in southern states through April 30 /update 15

Event

Authorities in southern India - including Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, and the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana - are extending relaxed business and transport restrictions through April 30 per central government guidelines. Strict controls on nonessential activity will continue in areas with a significant number of COVID-19 cases. Under these measures, movement from affected areas remains restricted only to select transit points and for essential purposes. All public transport and nonessential private transport remain banned. Businesses - mainly those providing essential services - may operate with minimal numbers of employees. Residents must stay home and use delivery services to the extent possible. In light of increasing cases, Karnataka and Kerala states are mandating most entrants to carry negative results of a COVID-19 test.

Businesses, transport services, and most public sites outside of containment zones are operational with social distancing measures; educational institutions are largely closed. International travel is limited to approved charter and commercial flights connecting "air bubble" destinations. Due to concerns about new COVID-19 strains, officials are also implementing enhanced health monitoring, as well as on-arrival or post-arrival testing requirements for international arrivals within at least the past seven days. Such measures are likely to mainly affect passengers from identified high-risk locations of Brazil, Europe, the Middle East, South Africa, and the UK.

As of March 27, existing or planned measures include:

• Andaman and Nicobar: All incoming air passengers must carry negative results of a COVID-19 RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours prior to departure. All entrants to the union territory and freight vehicle operators on interdistrict trips along National Highway 4 (NH 4) must either produce negative results of a reverse transcription-polymerase chain (RT-PCR) test for COVID-19 taken within 48 hours prior to departure from the origin point or undergo paid rapid antigen testing upon arrival. However, only pre-approved essential travelers with RT-PCR test results may enter or transit tribal areas - comprising the Jarawa tribal reserve in the south and Middle Andaman, Little Andaman, Nicobar District, and Rangat Tehsil - to protect tribal populations from COVID-19 outbreaks. Institutional quarantine of 10 days is mandatory for those entering tribal areas; officials could also mandate quarantine for symptomatic travelers, regardless of test results.

• Andhra Pradesh: All travelers entering the state must register online up to 72 hours before travel on the Spandana website; asymptomatic entrants - including international travelers from high-risk locations who test negative for COVID-19 upon arrival - will undergo a 14-day home quarantine; domestic passengers may avail quarantine exemptions.

• Karnataka: All travelers entering the state must register online up to 72 hours before travel; authorities are advising asymptomatic entrants to self-monitor their health for 14 days after arrival. Effective April 1, all incoming domestic travelers to Bengaluru must produce negative results of an RT-PCR COVID-19 test taken 72 hours prior to departure; the same rules apply for arrivals to any part of Karnataka State from other countries or high-risk locations including Chandigarh, and states of Kerala, Maharashtra, and Punjab. International arrivals must undergo additional self-paid on-arrival testing, and a 14-day quarantine at home or in a designated facility, based on health assessments. Domestic passengers staying fewer than seven days may avail quarantine exemption if holding negative results of a COVID-19 test; they may also undergo self-paid testing upon arrival and quarantine for a maximum of 48 hours until the results arrive.

• Kerala: Authorities are mandating domestic travelers to provide negative results of an RT-PCR COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours prior to departure. Those exiting the state must produce negative COVID-19 test results to enter at least 12 regions such as parts of northeast India, Delhi, and states of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal as of March 27; other areas may impose similar restrictions. All travelers entering the state must register online via the Jagratha portal up to 72 hours before travel; asymptomatic entrants must quarantine at home for at least seven days. Those entering with a negative COVID-19 test result, and pre-approved travelers leaving the state within seven days, are exempt from testing and quarantine. International passengers without results of pre-departure testing may obtain testing on-arrival at Cochin International Airport (COK) and wait eight hours for negative results before boarding a connecting flight or exiting the airport; such passengers may serve their 14-day quarantine at home. Pre-booking for these tests must be done through the Air Suvidha portal.

• Puducherry: Asymptomatic domestic travelers are not required to quarantine.

• Tamil Nadu: All travelers entering the state must register online before arrival. Domestic passengers intending to leave within 72 hours are exempt from testing and quarantine. Officials typically advise asymptomatic entrants - including international travelers entering with a COVID-19 test result obtained within the previous 72 hours - to monitor their health for 14 days. However, asymptomatic passengers from high-risk locations such as Kerala and Maharashtra states, as well as Brazil, Europe, Middle East, South Africa, and the UK - must quarantine at home for at least seven days. Officials are also mandating those from Kerala State to undergo on-arrival testing if entering by flights, or by road through Nilgiris District. Other domestic passengers, mainly from Kerala State, are likely to face medical screenings at entry points.

• Telangana: Officials are advising all asymptomatic domestic travelers to self-monitor their health for 14 days; no quarantine or testing is necessary. International passengers without results of pre-departure testing may avail of on-arrival testing at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD) and wait eight hours for negative results before boarding a connecting flight or exiting the airport; such passengers may serve their 14-day quarantine at home. Pre-booking for these tests must be done through the Air Suvidha portal.

Emergency and utility services remain operational nationwide. While banks and businesses selling essential goods, such as fuel, food, and medicines, remain open in containment zones, officials will almost certainly regulate price, supply, and opening hours. Panic-buying and associated localized shortages of essential goods may occur in some areas. Sporadic clashes are possible if groups attempt to enforce business closures or defy official orders. Police could forcibly disperse unruly crowds. Violators may face legal action. Authorities could modify restrictions at short notice, mainly in major cities.

Advice

Follow all official instructions; minimize outdoor activity to the extent possible. Abide by national health and safety measures. Reconfirm business appointments, deliveries, work, and travel arrangements. Do not check out of accommodation without confirming onward travel. Consider delaying traveling if experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, as they may prompt increased scrutiny and delays. Liaise with trusted contacts for further updates and guidance. Maintain contact with your diplomatic representation. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions. Reconsider and reconfirm nonemergency health appointments. Ensure access to essential items, plan for queues, and delays at available shopping centers. Carry proper identification documents, and heed all security advisories.

Resources

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Help Page
Air Suvidha Portal
Andhra Pradesh COVID-19 Portal
Karnataka COVID-19 Portal
Kerala COVID-19 Portal
South Andaman District Portal
Tamil Nadu Electronic Pass Application
World Health Organization (WHO)