All arrangements are in place at the State’s airports to receive travellers safely in the light of the new situation involving the Omicron variant of novel coronavirus, Health Minister Veena George has said.
The aim is to find the infected as early as possible, treat them, and prevent onward transmission. Travellers should follow all COVID-19 protocols strictly. Travellers from abroad, if they test positive, will be moved to special wards in hospitals and those from high-risk nations, who are negative, will be asked to go on home quarantine.
Kiosks have been set up at the airports for RT-PCR tests and for the health assessment of travellers. At least five to ten kiosks will be readied at each airport.
Health officials visited the Thiruvananthapuram airport on Tuesday to review the arrangements. 108 ambulance service has been arranged. Those who test negative will be allowed to go home in their own vehicles.
This vehicle should have only the driver and there should be a partition using plastic, between the driver and the passenger seats. The driver should wear mask and face shield. The vehicle should take the passenger directly home without any stopover. The vehicle should be sanitised afterwards.
Those on quarantine should confine themselves to a room with an attached bathroom and not interact with others. The room should be well-ventilated. After the seven-day quarantine, they should undergo RT-PCR test on day eight, as advised by health workers.
If the person tests positive after the quarantine, all family members will also have to be tested. Even if the person is negative on day eight, he/she will have to be in self-observation for another week. During this week, the individual should not attend any function or go anywhere crowded. Mask should be worn properly within home and outside.
The Minister appealed to the public to be mindful of all COVID protocols as only such precautions can prevent infections.
