KOCHI: Even as state agencies are collating details of those attended Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi, another major task has come up before the state after Central intelligence input revealed that Keralites were also among the 38,527 Indians who entered the country between March 1 and March 15 through nine land border posts. As a majority of those who tested positive for coronavirus in Kerala has recent history of foreign travel, the state now has requested all those who used Integrated Check Points (ICPs) to enter India voluntarily report to the health department. India has ICPs with Myanmar, Nepal and Bangladesh. The movement of people was suspended through ICPs only from March 16. But by then a lot of Indians had used these border posts to return to their home states.
“The Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) has all the details of people who have entered the country during the said period and will pass on the details to the states,” said an Intelligence Bureau officer. It’s suspected that many returned to the country through ICPs after reaching Myanmar, Nepal and Bangladesh. Though India has ICPs with Pakistan, people from South India do not generally use this route to enter the country.
“Basically, Keralites from Middle East catch a flight either to Myanmar or Nepal and then enter the county through land border posts,” the officer said. Though the LPAI officers have checked the primary health status of all those passing through ICPs for any Covid- 19 symptom, further health status are not known. A large number of migrant labourers travel to Kerala from Bangladesh border exposing a huge risk of Covid-19 spread.