Kerala govt issues guidelines for air travellers as domestic flight services resume

As the Centre has announced the resumption of domestic flights from May 25, the Kerala government has issued guidelines for air travellers to the state, including 14-day home quarantine from the date of arrival.

The standard operating procedure (SOP) issued on Saturday said symptomatic persons will be sent to either COVID Care Centre or Hospital.

As per the guidelines, all passengers had to register their details with the Covid-19 Jagratha web portal. "After undergoing medical screening for any symptoms of COVID-19, asymptomatic persons shall undergo home quarantine and symptomatic will be sent to either COVID Care Centre or Hospital," the order said.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had earlier said that those who reach the state in flights for any urgent "business meets" would require to travel back within a day or two and the state will not insist such persons to not undergo the strict quarantine of 14 days.

"The guidelines are issued for strict implementation by district Collector, district police chiefs and other heads of departments concerned," the order undersigned by Bishwanath Sinha, Principal Secretary and state coordinator for inter-state transits, said.

The order said the airline staff shall insist the details of the entry pass obtained from Covid-19 Jagratha before issuing the boarding pass.

If more than one person travel in a single ticket details of all persons shall be entered by anyone in the group using 'add family member' option, it said. The order specifically mentions that all the persons entering the state shall remain under home quarantine for 14 days from the date of arrival.

It also said that the pick up vehicles for arriving passengers will be permitted to enter airport with one person (excluding driver of the vehicle) at a designated place subject to social distancing norms.

"If the persons who pick up the passenger comes into physical contact with the traveller, they shall also remain under home quarantine for 14 days," the SOP said.

The district administration pertaining to those districts with airports will make arrangements for operating KSRTC buses to other district headquarters or major towns to drop the arriving passengers enabling them to reach home. The staff at the airports will be exclusively posted for a period of two weeks for airport surveillance and they must undergo two weeks home quarantine upon finishing duties.

A woman, who had reached Kerala from Dubai for cancer treatment and had tested positive for COVID, died on Sunday, and 53 new cases, 47 of them returnees from abroad and other states, were detected, taking the aggregate tally of COVID-19 in the state so far to 847.