Migrant workers returning to Kerala will have to go in mandatory quarantine for 14 days.
The government is anticipating an influx of migrant workers as the State’s economy starts to shed its inertia, though haltingly, in the second phase of the national “unlock” process.
Many of the workers are returning to Kerala in search of employment from epidemic spots in other States. Kerala could ill afford to run the risk of these workers turning super spreaders or triggering new infection clusters. Only those who have camp-at-site facility can work in Kerala.
Test on arrival
The government has clarified that the onus is on labour contractors and employers to ensure that migrant workers are quarantined in separate rooms and subjected to rapid antigen tests immediately on arrival. The rooms should have a built-in toilet facility. The rooms should be airy and reserved for single person use.
Persons who import or hire migrant workers should bear the expense of their board and lodging. They should communicate the identity and other particulars of the workers to local health or local body officials on arrival.
Migrant workers who test COVID-19 positive will be shifted to first-line treatment centres. If they test negative, the workers would still have to complete the obligatory quarantine period.
Employers should ensure that workers wear a mask at all times and maintain physical distancing. They should not transport workers crammed in vehicles. Health workers should inspect their dwelling and ensure the environs are hygienic and routinely disinfected.
The government also warned that those employers, migrant workers, or labour contractors who violate the pandemic protocol would face arrest and prosecution under the provisions of the epidemic control law.
Border check
The government has also stepped up border enforcement. It has deployed drones to survey critical containment zones in coastal localities. The administration has roped in the Coastal Police and the Coast Guard to ensure that there is no movement of people via sea and backwater routes.
The police were also monitoring forest pathways that link Kerala to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Fresh flare-ups and development of new clusters have put the administration on its toes to prevent the spread of the disease spiralling out of control.
