THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The new restrictions for flying have thrown cold water over the vacation plans of Keralites working in West Asia. The Covid test rule effective from February 22 is particularly stringent on travellers from West Asia, the UK and Europe as they have to undergo RT-PCR test before flying and on arrival in the state.
Those working in West Asia also have to pay in advance for seven-day hotel quarantine upon return. The passengers have to pay from their pockets for both tests as well. “I was planning for a 30-day vacation. But the new rule has come as a jolt. As the travel hinges on the test results, there is always a tension on getting them on time,” said Bobby John, who is employed in Qatar. “I may be able to change the hotel booking dates. The charge is non-refundable if I cannot return within a specific period.”
The travellers have to upload a Covid negative certificate on Air Suvidha portal to get permission for travel. Only the test conducted within 72 hours prior to undertaking the journey will be allowed while the return trip requires result of the test done 48 hours prior to the journey.
“The small number of facilities to conduct RT-PCR tests has become a handicap for the travellers like us,” said Bobby. While the state has focused on antigen-based testing, the health experts have been questioning the slow pace of developing capacity for RT-PCR tests. There are only 28 private labs and a handful of private hospitals approved for conducting RT-PCR tests.
Vinu Kumar who recently returned to Qatar said he was extra cautious not to catch the infection as it would have affected his chances of return. “I have not seen much vigil among people in Kerala. But people like me could not afford to take any chances,” he said. Manu Krishnan who is working in Kuwait said the travel has become expensive with the new rules. “We have to pay in advance for hotel quarantine in Dubai. The accommodation starts from three-star hotels. The cost of food will be additional,” he said.
The people working in West Asia are worried about the extension of the rules as India continues to be in the red zone indicating the high number of Covid cases. The state leads the number of active cases in the country. As on Friday, the state has 59,814 active cases with a test positivity rate of 6.67 per cent.
Arrangement in airports
The health department will set up multiple kiosks to collect swab samples from passengers for conducting RT-PCR tests. “We have chalked out a plan after a discussion with airports and airline companies. We will set up 10 counters in Thiruvananthapuram airport. It will be sufficient to cater to 400-500 people a day,” said an officer. As per conservative estimates, the airport receives around 800 passengers from West Asia alone.
However, there is no clarity on conducting molecular test as mandated by the guidelines. “We can conduct only RT-PCR tests. However, the chances of a person testing positive will be low as most of them come with a negative certificate. If the person tests positive on arrival, we can send the samples for molecular studies,” said the officer. As per the guidelines, only the passengers on transit will have to wait for the results before taking the connecting flights.
The airports in the state have been conducting PCR test on returnees from the United Kingdom since the end of December following a global alert on the new strain. So far, 86 returnees have tested positive including the two reported on Thursday. Among the positive samples sent for molecular tests, 10 passengers were found to have contracted the new Covid strain. The guidelines are applicable for passengers returning on ships also.
Tough times
Only the test conducted within 72 hours before undertaking the journey will be allowed. The return trip requires result of the test done 48 hours prior to journey.