From June 20, only Covid-free passengers can fly to Kerala
Medical testimonials are going to be a must to fly to Kerala from June 20. All passengers have to carry certificates stating that they are Covid-19 free, for the flights to get operational clearance.
The policy applies to government sponsored Vande Bharat Mission and chartered flights equally, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said at a news briefing on Wednesday.
Significantly, the chief minister said the state would have no issues in providing no-objection certificates to special flights comprising wholly of passengers who had tested positive at the port of departure. Kerala would receive them and treat them in State-run or commandeered facilities, the chief minister said.
The State has asked the Centre not to allow infected persons to travel alongside other passengers in airplanes, which is a closed and air-conditioned environment. There is a much higher risk of transmission in aircraft cabins than on trains or buses. Moreover, there could be pregnant women, children, the aged and sick persons on board general flights. Vijayan said Kerala could not discount the threat of community transmission from asymptomatic persons.
The government had given consent to a private airline to operate 300 flights to Kerala from the Gulf on the ground that the company would test passengers at the point of departure before allowing them on board. Other airlines and chartered flight operators should follow suit. More than 2 lakh expatriates are scheduled to arrive in Kerala soon.
Meanwhile, the State government submitted before the Kerala High Court that the State would insist on COVID-19 test for those returning by chartered flights from the Gulf. This is because there is every possibility of transmission of disease during their travel.
The submission was made by the State government when a writ petition filed by Reji Thazhamon of Pathanamthitta, seeking a directive to the State government not to insist on returning expatriates to have COVID-19 negative certificate, came up for hearing.
