Karnataka government on Thursday said it has not sought ban on flights from five states but reduced flights. The state government said it has requested the Civil Aviation Ministry to reduce the number of flights starting from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to Karnataka , in view of the high number of COVID-19 cases prevalent there.

In a clarification issued to the media this evening, the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Mr J C Madhuswamy has said that Karnataka has not sought for imposing a ban on flights from these places.

The minister also said restrictions have also been imposed for people coming by road from the states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat to ensure adequate quarantine facilities.

The state had earlier identified these states as 'high prevalence' and had made institutional quarantine mandatory for travelers from these states.

The state has cited pressure on quarantine centres, especially as passengers came in through flights starting Monday.

The state has seen a sudden spike in the case over recent weeks after travel relaxations were lifted. Karnataka has seen a total of 1,650 active cases.

First Published:May 28, 2020 6:35 PM IST