TN makes negative rt-pcr/vax certificate must for Kerala travellers

The Tamil Nadu government on Sunday said it was mandatory for people coming from Kerala, to the state to carry a negative RT-PCR test report or vaccination certificate of two COVID doses from August 5, in the wake of a spike in infections in the neighbouring state.

Addressing reporters, Medical and Family Welfare Minister Ma Subramanian said, "From August 5, concerned district administrations have been directed to intensify surveillance and allow people from Kerala to enter the state if they possess an RT-PCR negativity certificate."

Officials in the bordering districts have also been asked to allow people if they have necessary documents to show that they have received two doses of the COVID vaccines.

On the sero-survey results released on Saturday, Subramanian said special focus would be on those districts which have reported people with low resistance power to the virus.

"Virudhunagar has highest sero-positivity rate of 84 per cent, Chennai 82 per cent. But, in Erode district, it is less. Special focus will be given to districts where people have low resistance against the virus, by increasing vaccine doses and enhancing medical infrastructure..," he said.

The third Tamil Nadu Cross Sectional Sero-survey in July, covering over 26,000 samples revealed that at least 66.2 per cent of the population has developed antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19.

While the overall seroprevalence was 66.2 percent, the highest sero-positivity was observed in Virudhunagar district at 84 per cent while Erode reported the lowest at 37, according to the latest sero-survey conducted by the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine in 888 clusters across the state.

To a query, Subramanian said COVID-19 preventive measures would be intensified in five zones coming under the Greater Chennai Corporation, which are six, seven, eight, nine and 10, following a spurt in cases in these localities.

The minister said he inspected thermal screening of passengers arriving from various locations -- domestic and overseas -- at the Chennai airport.

".. we have asked authorities at the airport to monitor the screening activity in the wake of increase in new infections," he said.

Since July 28, Tamil Nadu has been registering a marginal increase in the number of daily infections after witnessing a declining trend for more than a month.