The fears of a fresh wave of COVID-19 positive cases came true today, when two NRIs, who had arrived from the Gulf as part of the 'Vande Bharat Mission', were tested positive for COVID-19. They had returned on May 7 to Kerala on the first two flights via Abu Dhabi-Kochi and Dubai-Kozhikode. While one is under treatment in Kochi, the other person is in Kozhikode.
The first Air India Express flight carrying 177 passengers and four infants from Abu Dhabi had landed at Kochi and the second flight from Dubai carrying the same number of passengers and five infants landed at Kozhikode.
It is a cause of concern for Kerala, which has had an impressive record till now in fighting COVID-19, and India, in general. In fact, these two are the only positive cases reported in the state today, which has been having an impressive run in the last few days on the COVID-19 front.
“It is a worrisome fact. But we had expected this,'' said Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Adding that the issue is “serious'', he said that everyone needs to be more alert. “That is why we had requested the Centre to make tests mandatory before boarding,'' the chief minister added.
The NRIs flying to India are, at present, subjected to only primary-level COVID-19 tests.
The chief minister said that it is clear that they were infected at the time they boarded. “Many more cases may emerge in the coming days,” he said.
Three flights will be landing in Kochi today carrying 537 passengers from Gulf regions, which are badly affected. COVID-19 has so far infected 4,000 Non-Resident Keralites in the Gulf region and 54 deaths have been reported.
Among the returnees, there are 61,009 people who have lost their jobs. There are 9,827 pregnant women, 10,628 children and 11,256 senior citizens.
The state government has made it mandatory that all passengers coming to Kerala have to undergo mandatory quarantine of 14 days. After spending the first seven days in coronavirus care homes, the passengers will be screened and the ones tested negative for COVID-19 will be allowed to spend next seven days in their homes. Pregnant women and children below 10 are allowed to go home and remain in quarantine for 14 days.
