As the number of Covid-19 cases is on the rise, Kerala State issued a circular mandating all passengers coming in chartered flights to Kerala to conduct Covid-19 test. Starting from June 20, only Covid-19 negative passengers are allowed to travel to Kerala. This applies to all Chartered flights from the Middle East to Kerala, a circular issued by the Principal Secretary said.

According to circular, overall infection rate among the returnees from the Middle East has risen to 3% with the returnees from some countries are as high as 6% infection upon arrival in Kerala. The co-passengers in these flights could be an asymptomatic carrier as they are exposed to these positive cases and this could lead to an alarming spread of infection, the government said.

Several organizations had arranged chartered flights from Kuwait to send passengers who need to travel to Kerala in coming days. Few companies also arranged chartered flights to Kerala to repatriate their employees back home during the pandemic. However, this mandatory Covid-19 test requirement will jeopardize the travel plan of many from Kuwait and from other Gulf countries.

Conducting any such test outside will be an extra financial burden for the passengers. Majority of the passengers who are travelling to Kerala are people who lost their job due to the pandemic or those seek urgent medical attention. This directive from the Kerala government will be an extra burden on these who are already living in high stress due to job loss and other issues.