Kerala issues travel guidelines for short stay in state amid pandemic

Covid-19 cases in Kerala have gone up with the return of expatriates and its people from other states.

The Kerala government on Monday announced a new set of guidelines for those who plan to visit the state for a short trip even as it reported 82 fresh cases that took the Covid-19 tally in the state 2,543.

A passenger being tested with Thermal check after arriving at Thiruvananthapuram railway station.(ANI)

The government had earlier been criticised for being very slow in issuing entry passes fearing a surge in Covid-19 cases.

Expatriates have also been upset after it insisted Covid-free certificates for all who are planning to come on chartered flights from Persian Gulf countries. One-week quarantine is a must for all who visit the state for longer duration but people who come for a shorter period (less than 10 days), will have to follow certain guidelines to avoid quarantine.

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According to the new guidelines, all travellers will have to get themselves registered in the government portal giving details of the visit for entry pass. They have to furnish the purpose of the visit, itinerary, details of contact persons and any deviation from the given information will have to be informed to the district authorities promptly.

After applying in the portal the district collector concerned approves it and travellers are not supposed to meet or attend any other functions other than the itinerary given in the application. They will also not be able to extend their stay in the state without getting prior permission from the authorities.

The government insists that there are strong reasons to impose strict restrictions after it found that more than 85 per cent of the recent cases involved expatriates and people from other states.

Among 82 fresh cases 49 are expatriates, 23 came from other states and nine infected from primary sources. The sample of a 67-year-old man in Thiruvananthapuram who died on June 12 was tested positive taking the total death toll to 21 in the state.