Thiruvananthapuram, June 25: Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan today informed that elaborate arrangements are being made at all the airports in Kerala to receive the Pravasi Malayalees who are coming back to the State in large numbers.
Addressing the media, the Chief Minister said, “The Foreign Ministry has scheduled 111 chartered flights and 43 flights under the Vande Bharat mission to Kerala from June 25 to 30. Yesterday itself, 72 flights arrived from overseas. We are expecting 40-50 flights per day from tomorrow. There are more flights to Kochi and Kozhikode. Taking this into account, extensive arrangements are being made at every airport. Antibody kits for conducting Covid tests have been delivered and special booths have been set up. Those in charge at the airports have been given clear instructions. The involvement of the police, the health department and other government agencies in this regard is commendable.”
Anyone who arrives at the airport from overseas will have to do the Anti Body test. This is being done an additional safety measure. Tests are performed on IgM and IgG antibodies that appear after the Coronavirus enters the body and causes symptoms. If IgM and IgG antibody bodies are detected, a PCR test will also be conducted. Those who have negative results in Anti Body test should be careful and avoid public contacts.
Those who arrive at the airports should directly go to their homes. Visiting other places, including relatives on the way, is not permitted. Those coming from abroad should strictly follow the quarantine norms. Police have been directed to look into the matter.
“Food outlets at the airports have been instructed not to charge extra amount for food. As more and more people from abroad come, there will be congestion at airports as they wait to clear the screening and testing process. The government will take action to make snacks available at affordable prices. Kudumbasree has set up a refreshment centre at the Kochi airport”, the CM added.
Multilevel strategy for treatment of increasing Covid cases
With a large number of Keralites returning from abroad in the coming days, a multi-level strategy (Plan A, B & C) have been prepared for the treatment of the rising number of Covid patients. This has been done to ensure the best possible treatment for these patients.
According to Plan A, 29 Covid hospitals and 29 Covid Firstline Treatment Centres have been established in all the 14 districts of the State to treat patients infected with Coronavirus. Facilities of private hospitals will also be used if required. Currently, 2,937 hospitals have been set up with 8,537 beds, 872 ICU beds and 482 ventilators.
If the number of patients increases, more beds in selected hospitals will be used for Covid treatment. In addition, the second tier of Covid hospitals is also being prepared.
479 patients are at present being treated in the 3,180 beds in 29 Covid First-line treatment centres. According to Plan A, B and C; 15,975 beds have been arranged in 171 Covid Firstline Treatment Centres in the State.
The government’s approach is to provide all possible facilities. People are being taken to hospitals in government ambulances for testing, quarantine and treatment. In April, 7,561 availed these services at government expense, in May, 24,695 and in June, 30,599.