Thiruvananthapuram: After protests from various quarters over an order making COVID-19 negative certificates mandatory for those arriving by chartered flights to Kerala, the state government said a decision will only be taken after consultations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday requested the Centre to make arrangements to carry out COVID-19 testing for those returning from various countries through Indian embassies abroad.
In a letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vijayan said the government should ensure the availability of testing kits for expats and that the embassies should be given the task of testing them for free.
"If there is no facility for PCR tests, at least rapid tests should be done. A situation where a COVID-19 positive person travelswith non-infected persons should be avoided," Vijayan said in his letter, adding that the central government should consider operating special flights to bring back the COVID-19 patients alone.
Meanwhile, State Health Minister K K Shailaja told the media on Sunday that there were chances that a COVID-19 positive person travelling in a flight, might infect other passengers.
She said that making COVID-19 negative certificates mandatory on chartered flights was only a suggestion and a final decision will only be taken after theChief Minister discusses the issue with Modi on Tuesday via video conferencing.
Shailaja also clarified that the suggestion was not meant to cause obstruction to any Keralite wanting to return home and that it was made keeping in view the safety of fellow passengers.
“As the overall infection rate among returnees from other countries were very high, the state was concerned about the fellow passengers, which might even include pregnant women and elderly,” she said.
The state is open to all Keralites who wish to return and there is enough infrastructure to cater to all,” she added.
The decision to demand COVID-19 negative certificate drew sharp criticism from Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) and opposition parties in the state.
They pointed out that charges for conducting the test in Gulf are steep and the process is time-consuming, making their return to Kerala more difficult. Some also charged the order was part of an agenda to prevent their arrival in Kerala.
The controversial order,issued by Non Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA ) Principal Secretary Dr K Ellangovan, said it will apply to passengers arriving by chartered flights from Gulf starting June 20.
However, Ellangovan later clarified that a final decision will only be taken after receiving inputs from Indian ambassadors in the Middle-East regarding testing infrastructure in various countries.
Those protesting against the order pointed out that even passengers who travelled to India in 'Vande Bharat Mission' flights were not tested for COVID-19.
Office-bearers of various organisations in the Gulf countries said the order should be withdrawn.
"In UAE, the test for COVID-19 costs around Rs 7,000, which many Keralites in that Gulf country cannot afford to pay. Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia, it takes 2-8 days for the result of the test to be ready. This makes meeting the Kerala government’s condition for producing a test result within 48 hours of departure impractical," they said.
Oppn slams LDF govt
Hitting out at the government, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said it is "strange" that the LDF government, which had passed a resolution in the assembly against the Centre for insisting on COVID negative certificates, had now taken a similar decision, and demanded that it be re-considered.
The Kerala Assembly had on March12 passed a unanimous resolution against the Union government's circular barring the return of Indians from coronavirus-hit countries such as Italy unless they produced a certificate that proves they have tested negative for the infection.
The resolution moved by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said the circular was "inhuman" and was akin to "cruelly abandoning" expatriate Indians.
"There was no such stipulation for those returning by flights of the Vande Bharat mission and the decision is likely to cause immense hardships", Chennithala said.
Most of the NRKs returning had lost their jobs and were able to come back to the state following help from various quarters, he said, adding that insisting on the certificates would further create problems for them.
IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty, MP, also criticised the government decision on the COVID-19 negative certificates.