Keralites continue to pour into the State in hordes

Those returning from other States in the country need to get their digital passes from the COVID Jagratha portal

Punalur Revenue Divisional Officer Sasikumar and District Police Chief (Kollam Rural) Hari Sankar welcoming the first family that returned to the State through Aryankavu check-post on Tuesday.

Keralites stranded in other States during the lockdown to contain COVID-19 continued to pour in through the six designated check-posts on the borders on Tuesday.

As many as 191 people crossed the Inchivila check-post on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border near Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.

Teething issues persisted there for the second day and several families were forced to wait for over four hours after the Tamil Nadu Police insisted on obtaining transit passes issued by their government. This prompted the Kerala officials to send back around 40 people who came in 10 vehicles soon after they crossed the border.

The frustrated lot argued that they had cleared all formalities by obtaining the passes issued by the Non-Resident Keralites Affairs Department (NoRKA) and the Collector of their native district. With the police unrelenting, the families were compelled to apply for the e-pass and await its issuance. Finally, they were allowed to cross the border after the server of the registration portal crashed.

Walayar

As many as 2,377 Keralites returned home through the Walayar check-post in Palakkad district on Tuesday. District officials said 1,063 vehicles with online passes reached the State through Walayar, carrying 1,713 men, 458 women and 206 children. Many more vehicles continued to be waiting for clearance in the evening.

Aryankavu

A total of 126 Keralites returned to the State through Aryankavu check-post on Tuesday. Around 679 persons are expected through the check-post in the next couple of days. The district administration has arranged facilities for rest and awareness session at Arayankavu.

Arrangements are in place for receiving 800 persons a day and the timing will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. All will have to go through five levels of screening at the border.

Heath officials will be deciding the type of quarantine and a junior health inspector and a volunteer will be in charge of completing the procedures. While those coming in the A category will be sent to COVID-19 first-line treatment centres and those in B and C categories will be taken to Kollam District Hospital and Government Medical College, Paripally.

"As many as 25 ambulances and 25 taxis will be made available in Aryankavu," said Kollam Collector B. Abdul Nasar.

Muthanga

As many as 1,000 people would be allowed to enter the State through the Muthanga check-post on the Kerala-Karnataka border a day from Friday against the present limit of 400 now. The number of counters would be increased from four to 10. As many as 119 vehicles carrying 275 Keralites crossed the the check-post on Monday.

Jagratha portal

Keralites returning from other States need to get their digital passes from the COVID Jagratha portal www.covid19jagratha.kerala.nic.in. There is no requirement to register through NoRKA-Roots. Those who have completed the NoRKA registration can use the register number to get the domestic returnee pass from the Jagratha portal. The rest can avail the emergency travel pass. Details including mobile number, vehicle number and entry check post details have to be uploaded.

(With contributions from Sarath Babu George in Thiruvananthapuram, Navamy Sudhish in Kollam, Abdul Latheef Naha in Palakkad, and E.M. Manoj in Wayanad)