Mangaluru: Kerala state can now heave a sigh of relief as Karnataka has agreed to allow ambulances carrying patients other than COVID-19 cases through Talapady border in Kasaragod district for treatment in hospitals in Mangaluru during the ongoing lockdown.
While Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has informed about the same during his daily briefing on COVID-19, no official confirmation on the same has come from Karnataka government.
The decision came in two days after the Apex Court directed the Chief Secretaries of Kerala and Karnataka to hold discussions with Union Health Secretary and amicably settle the issue.
“Karanataka will open Talpady check post and allow ambulances carrying patients other than Covid-19 infected ones. A medical team of Karnataka will be stationed there and would examine the patient before allowing them to enter that state,” Vijayan said.
The patients from Kerala need to carry a certificate mentioning the hospital which they plan to visit in Mangaluru, he said.
Karnataka had closed its borders, including the one near Talapady after Kasargod became a hotspot of COVID-19, in a state’s bid to contain the infection.
The issue took a serious turn when at least eight ailing people lost their lives after they were denied entry into Karnataka border.
After the SC verdict, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had said that opening the Kerala-Karnataka border is like ’embracing death’.
