Airport model screening for COVID-19 planned at 3 railway stations in Kerala

With Indian Railways all set to partially commence some train services from Tuesday to help those stranded at various places, Kerala government plans to put in place airport-model COVID-19 screening at three railway stations, where trains will halt. stops are Kozhikode, Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram railway stations.

State minister V S Sunil Kumar said symptomatic passengers would be shifted to hospitals from stations and ors would be transported to ir home districts in specially arranged Kerala State Road Transport (KSRTC) buses.

"se special trains will have only three stops in Kerala- Kozhikode, Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram. Railways will provide us with full address details of passengers. We will segregate m according to ir respective districts and finalise list of people alighting at three stations. Those who reach state will be screened and tested for symptoms," Sunil Kumar told PTI.

As per central government guidelines, Railways has to ensure that all passengers are compulsorily screened and only asymtomatic passengers are allowed to board trains. Passengers would be provided with hand santisers at entry and exit points at stations and in coaches and all of m would have to wear face masks. On arrival at ir destinations here, y would have to adhere to state's health protocols, he said. minister said counters like those at airports to screen passengers would be in place at three stations.

"We will open separate counters like we have done in airports. We expect at least 1,400 people in each train and y will alight at three different stations. final plan will be made by Wednesday evening," he added.

passengers would be subjected to rmal screening at railway stations. A passenger having high temperature would be segregated and sent to hospitals for a formal check-up.

Kumar said, "those who are symptomatic will be sent to hospital. n-symptomatic persons will be allowed to board KSRTC buses, taken to ir districts and home quarantined."

Various departments and local self government institutions will enquire wher passenger has facilities at ir residences to go into home quarantine and if t, y would be shifted to institutional quarantine.

"We will also enquire wher person has a facility to stay under home quarantine. For home quarantine, we will enquire wher house has a bath-attached room, wher it is possible for person to stay alone in room and if re is anyone above of 60 years in that house. If t, we will arrange institutional quarantine. Paid quarantine is also available," he said.

re was need for any relatives or friends to reach station to pick passengers as state government has arranged transportation facility by KSRTC buses. Kerala has been following Centre's guidelines, which state that anyone arriving in Kerala from or states will have to be in strict 14 day quarantine. re would be local level monitoring committees to ensure that those who are under home quarantine do t move around to visit friends and relatives, Kumar said. state has 519 confirmed cases of COVID-19 till w and currently 27 are under treatment.