lnter-state travel to Kerala (14-05-2020)

Just wanted to share the procedures and  experience travelling from Bangalore to Kerala (Thrissur) by road.   

Procedure:

1. Apply for epass in the site   https://covid19jagratha.kerala.nic.in/ giving preferred date of travel and the time window of arrival at the checkpost
2. Wait for an enquiry call from your respective local administration bodies.We got a call from thrissur corporation. Main requirement for home quarantine is to have a room with an attached bathroom and also some to help to get the essentials.
3. Post the call and a confirmation on facilities for home quarantine, an entry pass will be issued.
   
4. Once the entry pass was approved, we had applied for source pass from Karnataka in the SevaSindhu app but it never got approved till 14th, may be because the rules were changed later  ==> So this step is NOT needed.
5. On the date of travel, keep the entry pass ready (no need of printout. Can show in phone) as there will be checking at every state and district boarders that you pass.
6. At the destination checkpost, there will be verification of the epass post which you need to undergo screening 
7. Screening was very smooth and it barely took us 20 mins for the whole procedure.  They verified the details and  did a temperature check of all passengers (contactless)
8. You also need to install Aarogya Setu app and register, if not done already.
9. Post the screening, transportation pass

   

   Transportation pass
   
   
   
   

   is issued to the passengers indicating the fitness and a sticker for the vehicle

   
   

   
   

10. You can cross district boarders only with this pass where it is checked and the full address of destination is noted.

    

    Vehicle Pass

11. You will be advised to contact the respective PHC upon arrival and also advice given on the quarantine procedures to be followed at home.
12. We got the call from PHC even before we arrived and also in the evening after we arrived.
13. We also got calls from counceller yesterday and also multiple calls from the state police today cheking on us. 
14. Edited to add - Police visited our home and looks like there will be daily visits twice until the end of 14 days.
15. Edit 2 : People from DMO office also visited our home and handed over the quarantine procedures to follow and also a specific booklet on lockdown with lots of info including mental health and food habits.  We had to sign an affidavit as well.
    

Quarantine Procedures:

1. We are advised room quarantine and since we have a nonagenarian at home, we are staying upstairs.   
2. Food to be served in the room and family member serving us to wear mask.
3. We have to keep seperate utencils for us and to be washed by us and not to be mixed with other vessels used by other members
4. Wash our cloths ourselves
5. Car which we travelled should also be quarantined and not to be taken out by other family members
6. None of our possessions to be touched by other family members. Newspapers etc to be read by other members and then only given to us and not to be passed back.

Random notes:

1. All the tolls are functional and so recharge the FastTag to avoid cash transaction. Some have increased toll amount  and so keep a buffer while recharging
2. Cook and carry food , snacks and refreshments as almost all of the highway eateries are closed and that is much safer too.
3. We were shifting back to Kerala and so had the entire household to be moved back. Most of the packers and movers said they haven't started interstate operations for fear of 14 days quarantine. But this is not the case for container drivers as long as they have  exit pass (it is a different procedure). Same with taxi also in case you do not have own vehicle.
4.  As soon as the norka registration for interstate travel opened , we had registered but due to ambiguities related to cargo movement earlier, we had applied for epass only on 3rd of May for a travel date of 11th May after getting confirmation from packers n movers. Initially there was a confusion in issuing passes for people coming from red zone and our application was not approved until 10th May. Since we couldn't do the shift in a day, we couldn't travel on the same day of pass. But travelling on a later date is fine. Earlier date will not be possible. So apply accordingly
5. There was no rush at the screening centers on the date and time we arrived and social distancing was followed  unlike the reports that we read. 
6. Everyone coming in single vehicle will be screened at the same counter. There are seperate counters for senior citizens, pregnant women and children.
7. Follow the quarantine procedures strictly as we do not know how and when we are getting exposed especially since we are passing through different checkposts. Most of the officers were careful not to touch anything from the passengers but it is never a guarantee
8. Last but not least avoid any non-essential travel. We travelled only because I had quit my job and our next plans were to be in hometown permanently.