Express News Service
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even because the Kerala authorities strengthened restrictions in place for travellers coming to the state from different components of India and international international locations following the second wave of COVID, solely air vacationers are following the rules per se, as there is no such thing as a strict enforcement of protocols in street and rail routes throughout the state.
In the case of air passengers, all of the worldwide vacationers are certain to comply with the COVID protocol for his or her surveillance issued by the Union Government. The home travellers, no matter their vaccination standing, must also carry an RT-PCR check damaging outcome taken 48 hours previous to the journey or ought to take instantly after coming into the state.
The newest journey advisory for the worldwide traveller is that he/she ought to have a RT-PCR damaging outcome taken 72 hours previous to the journey. They should go on residence quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. If they’re coming with out an RT-PCR damaging certificates, they are going to be subjected to a check on the airport. The journey advisory for worldwide passengers are clearly being adopted by the travellers as virtually all of the airways corporations made RT-PCR check outcomes obligatory earlier than boarding the flight. But within the home entrance, issues are usually not so rosy.
Praveen N A, 26-year-old, who reached Trivandrum airport from Kolkata on Saturday, mentioned he was not requested for RT-PCR damaging check outcome by the airline or well being authorities in Kolkata or Trivandrum. “When I reached Trivandrum by a connecting flight from Bangalore, the airport officials asked whether I have RT-PCR test result. As I said I don’t have, they asked me to undergo the test once I reached home,” he mentioned.
But the situation is fully completely different in street and rail routes. As per the newest advisory of the Kerala Government, those that couldn’t undertake the RT-PCR check ought to stay in room isolation for 14 days from the date of entry and search quick medical consideration in the event that they develop any signs.
But the very fact is that there is no such thing as a correct system to test the standing of passengers aside from asking them to register with Covid Jagratha portal.
A rail passenger who reaches any of the stations contained in the state can depart the station with out any checking or every other formalities now. Satheesh T S (identify modified), a local of Thrissur, who not too long ago visited Chennai twice, mentioned he had taken an e-pass when he first visited Chennai. But not one of the officers have requested him something even after the journey. “Second time I skipped the e-pass and RT-PCR test and nobody in my vicinity knew that I had gone and returned after a short stay in Chennai,” he added.
Speaking to Express, Railway spokeperson, Trivandrum Division, mentioned “The Railway has issued an advisory urging passengers to check travel guidelines of their destination states before boarding trains. It is up to the state government to make sure that the protocols are adhered to by the passengers in the respective destinations.”
Another officer on situation of anonymity mentioned the Railways gave a letter to the chief secretary urging to position a mechanism to test the passengers.
In the case of street passengers, the Kerala police have been asking the passengers to undertake an RT-PCR check right here after coming into the state in the event that they did not take check prior to journey. But their counterparts in Tamil Nadu have arrange a swab assortment level at inter-State border check-post at Kaliyikkavila in Thiruvananthapuram and solely those that have undertaken RT-PCR check are allowed to enter the state. If the passenger has not taken the check previous to the journey, he may give his swab on the assortment level on the check-post and proceed his journey. If he exams optimistic for the virus, the authorities will contact and ask him to hunt medical care.
Parassala Station House Officer, Sreejith Janardhanan, mentioned “We have asked the health department in Kerala to set up a similar mechanism in Kerala as well. At present we are asking the passengers who travel without RT-PCR negative results to undergo a test once they reach the destination and stay indoor till they receive the results,” he mentioned.
