Chaos as people throng Kerala borders
Several Keralites reached borders without proper travel passes
Two persons who returned from Dubai and Abu Dhabi as part of ‘Vande Bharat Mission’ on Thursday tested positive for Covid-19 setting alarm bells ringing for the Kerala government which is in the midst of receiving Non-Resident Keralities mainly from the Gulf countries.
The two new cases from Kozhikode Kochi.
At a press conference here, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called for strict vigil in the wake of the NRKs testing positive.
The Kerala Government had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure are and mandatory Covid-19 test for all passengers before boarding flights to India from foreign countries. However, the Centre is yet to respond to the request.
“We expected such cases that’s why we urged the Centre top make tests mandatory. Since all passengers who travelled with the two persons are now face the risk, they will be monitored closely in their respective areas. The two passengers were already infected when they boarded the flight. There may be people whose symptoms get suppressed due to intake of medicines. At our level there was no lapse since each and every person was subjected to thorough tests, “he said.
The Chief Minister said the pregnant women who came from abroad will continue in home quarantine. However, in the event of hospitalisation they need to inform the local health authorities about the hospitals where they wish to get admitted.
Meanwhile, chaos prevailed at the border check posts in Kerala as Keralities arrived in large numbers to return home. Many came without obtaining travel passes creating utter confusion
All safety norms were thrown to the wind at the Walayar check post in Palakkad where a large number people arrived from many parts of neighbouring Tamil Nadu. Similar situation prevailed at KeralaKarnataka border in Manjeshwaram.
Opposition Congress MPs and MLAs sat on a dharna demanding facilities for the returnees.
Meanwhile 117 students who arrived from red zone district Thiruvallur in Tamil Nadu skipped government quarantine.
The students who returned to Kottayam, Thrissur, Ernakulam and Malappuram districts, are being traced to put them in institutional quarantine.
So far the authorities have got in touch with 34 students.
The Chief Minister appealed to the people to cooperate with the efforts being made by the government. Those who are arriving at the border without travel passes will have no other option but to return.
So far Kerala has reported 505 cases. While the state has 17 active cases, 23,596 persons are under home quarantine and 334 in hospitals .
Meanwhile, five people were arrested for allegedly conducting congregational prayers at a mosque here in violation of the lockdown norms.
A case was registered against five people for conducting evening prayers on Friday, police said.
On receiving information that prayers were being conducted at the Eriyad Masjidul Bilal mosque here, the police reached the spot and arrested the five, who were later let off on station bail.