THIRUVANANTHAPURAM /KOCHI: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said all those coming from abroad will be quarantined for seven days at government facilities on their arrival. After that, they will have to undergo PCR test and those who test negative will be quarantined at home for one more week. As many as 3,150 Keralites stranded in West Asian countries and Malaysia will be flown back on 15 flights during the first leg of the Union government’s evacuation plan for NRIs from May 7 to 13.
The first flight carrying 200 Indians from Abu Dhabi will touch down at the Kochi airport on Thursday. About 80,000 NRKs are expected to be brought back to the state in total. All airports except Kannur will be utilised for the purpose though many of those who have registered to return had opted to disembark there. The decision to quarantine returning NRIs was taken at a high-level meeting held on Tuesday to assess preparations for receiving the returnees.
Facilities for setting up about 2.5 lakh beds have been identified of which 1.63 lakh have become fully operational. Decentralised quarantine facilities would be set up across the state. The CM has shot off a letter to the Prime Minister, urging him to make arrangements to ensure that safety protocols are followed at boarding points. Pinarayi said after having taken so many precautions to combat the virus, it will not be ideal to have expatriates returning without being screened.
According to the list prepared by the state government, 1,69,136 people should be brought back to Kerala immediately though 4.42 lakh NRKs have registered. The state had prepared a priority list for expats in different categories to be brought back but the Centre rejected it, the chief minister said. Necessary arrangements are also being made at the Kochi Port to screen expats being brought by ships from the Maldives and the UAE.