The district administration has made arrangements as per COVID-19 guidelines to receive and transport the 602 passengers who will arrive at the Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station on the Rajdhani train from New Delhi on Friday.
A tight security cover has been clamped on the station premises. Passengers will be allowed to proceed only through four exit paths where circles have been drawn for social distancing.
The government has stationed 25 KSRTC buses to transport the passengers to their houses. The Kanyakumari administration has deployed five buses for those headed there and other parts of Tamil Nadu. Fifteen ambulances have been readied to take symptomatic people to hospitals.
The passengers are headed for Thiruvananthapuram (150), Kollam (84), Pathanamthitta (89), Alappuzha (37), Kottayam (34) and Tamil Nadu (61). The district administration is yet to receive the travel details of the remaining 147 passengers.
After medical screening and verification of travel passes at the station, the asymptomatic passengers can leave on KSRTC buses or own vehicles to be quarantined in their homes. Those unable to ensure self-isolation at their houses will be transferred to corona care centres. Drivers of private vehicles picking up passengers will be required to be in home quarantine for 14 days. Those with symptoms will be shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital immediately.
The train will start its return journey to New Delhi at 7.15 p.m. While 299 people, including 74 women and 13 children, are expected to embark from Thiruvananthapuram, officials say the final number of people cleared for travel could vary. Barring those transporting passengers, no other vehicles will be permitted in the area during the arrival and departure of the train. Parking areas have been designated for buses, ambulances, and private vehicles.
As many as 378 people were directed to go under quarantine on the day, increasing the number of people under surveillance in the district to 4,561. Eighteen people were hospitalised with symptoms.
Besides, 178 people were under institutional quarantine in corona care centres at Mar Ivanios College hostel (52), SAI Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education (48), IMG training centre (50), Hotel Chaithram (10), KSEB inspection bungalow (8), Pankajakasthuri (4), Hotel Hilton (3), Vidya Engineering College (2), and Hotel Mascot (1).
Not wearing masks
The City police registered 39 cases and seized 11 vehicles for violation of lockdown norms. As many as 188 people were penalised for not wearing masks outdoors. The Thiruvananthapuram Rural police registered 217 cases, arrested 220 people, and seized 117 vehicles.
The Corporation has constituted ward-level monitoring committees led by councillors to intensify surveillance of those in home quarantine in the capital city. Around 2,500 trained volunteers have been made part of the squads which will keep tabs on those quarantined.
Arrival by road
A total of 233 people entered the State through Inchivila on Thursday. These included 206 people from Tamil Nadu, 25 from Karnataka, and one each from Assam and Andhra Pradesh.
While 85 people started their journeys from COVID-19 red zones, all except one person were allowed to go to their houses. One person was shifted to the corona care centre at Vidya Engineering College, Kilimanoor. There are 191 Thiruvananthapuram natives among the returnees.
Published - May 14, 2020 11:23 pm IST
