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Kerala firm on Covid-free certificates for expatriates returning home
Last week, the government had said the Covid-free certificates would be mandatory for those taking chartered flights from West Asian countries but it modified its stand to include everybody flying in from abroad from June 20.
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Despite protests from expatriates and opposition parties, the Kerala government on Tuesday underlined that it will make Covid-free certificates mandatory for those returning to the country from abroad.
Last week, the government had said the Covid-free certificates would be mandatory for those taking chartered flights from West Asian countries.
On Tuesday, the government modified its stand to include everybody flying in from abroad from June 20.
“We can’t take chances now. Besides chartered flights we want people coming in ‘Vande Bharat’ flights also tested before they take flights. It is meant to ensure the safety of all,” said state industry minister E P Jayarajan.
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Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who participated in the video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, did not get a chance to speak. But two days ago, he had sent a letter to Modi seeking his help on the issue.
The state will soon submit a list of its demands to the Centre and Covid-free certificate will be on top of it, said a spokesman of the government. He said around 90 per cent of recent Covid-19 cases are expatriates or people who returned from other states and the state cannot take any further risk.
But many expatriates said the state was keen to maintain its records and not interested in its people who were desperate to return home from West Asian countries.
“The government’s move is quite impractical. In many Gulf countries, tests are expensive and time-consuming. The Kerala government wants to discourage the return of its people. It is an inhuman act,” said Mansoor Paloor, a leader of the expat community. There are an estimated 18 lakh people from Kerala working in Persian Gulf countries.
On Tuesday, the state reported 79 fresh cases of Covid-19, taking the total to 2,621. Of these, 1,336 are active cases, said State Health Minister K K Shailaja. Out of the 79 fresh cases, 49 had arrived from abroad and 26 others from other states and five got infected from primary contacts, she said.
A 33-year-old man who came from a West Asian country and was under observation allegedly committed suicide by immolating himself in Kollam district, police said. A total of 21 people have died of Covid-19 in Kerala so far.
