As part of measures to control the novel coronavirus outbreak, authorities at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on Thursday began stamping arriving international passengers, who have been advised home quarantine, with indelible ink.
The stamp indicates the last day of quarantine.
Karnataka Health Minister B. Sriramulu on Thursday shared photographs of passengers being stamped at the Kempegowda International Airport.
Karnataka health commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey on Wednesday informed, "It has been decided to stamp the back of palm of left hand of such passengers with a specially designed stamp, which will indicate the last day of quarantine."
With the implementation of the move, Karnataka becomes the third state to use stamping to identify and track air travellers. The first was Maharashtra, which has witnessed the most cases of coronavirus in India till date.
On Wednesday, Goa decided to stamp hands of passengers arriving at the Dabolim Airport if they were advised home quarantine.
"Stamping of passengers arriving at Dabolim airport will start from 2am on Thursday. It will be on the lines of Maharashtra," Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said.
As per protocol, people arriving in Goa from coronavirus-affected regions are being put under home quarantine as a precautionary measure while their samples are sent for tests.