531 to arrive in Kerala as 2nd phase of evacuation begins

Thiruvananthapuram, May 16 (IANS) As part of the second phase of the Vande Bharat mission to bring back Indians stranded abroad amid the coronavirus triggered lockdown, on Saturday, three flights carrying 177 passengers each from UAE will touch down at three Kerala airports. The first flight would arrive at the Cochin airport from Dubai, while the second one would be from Abu Dhabi to Thiruvananthapuram and another one to Kozhikode. In the first phase over 3,000 passengers came in from the Middle East and likewise in the second phase of air evacuation, Air India will be operating 25 flights to Kerala. According to the health protocols, all arriving passengers will be undergoing a health check up. Those with symptoms will be taken to Covid hospitals and the remaining would be sent to home quarantine. State Health Minister K.K. Shailaja said that this will begin the third phase of Covid-19 as more and more of our people from abroad and within the country are arriving. "All of them are our own people and they will have to return to their homes. This is going to be a crucial phase and hence everyone have to be more cautious and alert to see that nothing is taken lightly. There will be more number of people who will have to be under observation and it's very important that all follow the guidelines, if not, things will go out of hand," said Shailaja.
--IANS sg/skp/