THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Allaying the concerns of the state government, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said on Wednesday all returning NRIs will be tested for Covid-19 before they board their flights. The standard operating procedure laid down by the Centre prescribes repatriation of only those who are free of Covid-19 symptoms, he said. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had on Tuesday warned that bringing people without conducting tests overseas would pose a danger to the state.
Muraleedharan said an isolation area will be set apart in the aircraft to accommodate passengers developing symptoms mid-air. The cabin crew will wear personal protective equipment (PPE) kits as an added precaution. He didn’t agree with Pinarayi’s statement that expatriates will have to undergo only a seven-day institutional quarantine in the state.
‘Quarantine period decided by ICMR, not state or Union govt’
“It’s ICMR, and not the state or the Union government, which decides the quarantine period,” he said. However, indicating confusion over the matter, Pinarayi reiterated the state government’s stance on the institutional quarantine. “The expats will be subjected to RT-PCR test on the seventh day. While those who test positive will be sent to hospital, others can go under home quarantine,” he said. Meanwhile, Muraleedharan said the CM was misled when he stated that only 80,000 NRKs will be brought back. Expatriates whose close relatives died in the state have also been included, he said. He added that the Kannur International Airport has also been included as a destination to bring back expats.