Kerala makes Covid -ve certificate mandatory
The Pinarayi Vijayan government has alienated lakhs of Non-Resident Keralites (NRK) and their families back home, by ordering that all returnees have to necessarily produce a Covid-negative certificate to board flights to Kerala.
No other state has asked for such a condition, which has reinforced the fears of overseas Malayalees they are not welcome to come back. The embassy websites clarify the step has been taken on the request of the Kerala government.
Earlier, the requirement of negative certificate was applicable only for chartered flights carrying the stranded workers, desperate to get back as they have been without job or the means to support themselves for months together.
This led to widespread protests from the overseas Keralites they are being discriminated against as there is no such requirement for the Vande Bharat flights.
Instead of removing the anomaly in favour of the affected people, the Kerala government has opted to make the requirement across the board, bringing the regular Vande Bharat flights also under the requirement. Now nobody can come without a certificate.
The expatriate Malayalees are shocked at the indifference of the state government, which apparently is worried that a bigger influx would spoil its record of handling the pandemic with relatively greater success.
They point out most of the stranded people cannot afford a test as they don’t have any money, apart from the fact for a large number of people getting a test done would mean travelling thousands of kilometres by road as their stations do not have the facilities.
Even if hospitals are capable of doing the tests, most do not have access, as the government hospitals only test people with clear Covid symptoms. Also, the priority of government hospitals is to treat own citizens, as a result of which the expatriates do not get a chance. Many countries do not even hold PCR tests. Private hospitals are far too beyond the reach of most people.
The Kerala government's stand is if people are allowed to board the flight without the negative certificate, there is a risk of asymptomatic passengers taking the flight, which would expose the entire passengers and crew of the flight to the disease. The government has, therefore, asked the Centre to organise special flights to bring Covid patients alone.
CM Pinarayi Vijayan has written to the PM, seeking his help in organising tests in foreign countries through the embassies and diplomatic missions. He has not received a reply yet, but his government has gone ahead with the advisory not to let anyone without a Covidnegative certificate to board any flight.
The opposition parties have latched on to the opportunity to launch a noholds barred agitation against the Pinarayi government for its approach towards NRK. Opposition leader Ramesh Channithala has announced a day’s hunger strike on June 19 in front of the state secretariat to protest against the government decision.