COVID-19: Stranded Keralites can soon travel back safely to their home state! The Kerala government has asked Keralites who are stranded in different parts of the country to register on the Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA) website for their safe return to the state. However, the state government has clarified that the people will only be brought back to the state after the lockdown has been lifted from the country, Manorama reported. The government has said that the online process for the registration on the website will commence from Wednesday. The state government’s decision comes in view of the similar measures taken by different states to reach out to people of their state in different parts of the country after the nationwide lockdown was imposed on March 25.
Elaborating on its proposal, the state government has said that every returnee will be tested at the state border and will have to remain in home quarantine for a fortnight. CM Pinarayi Vijayan has asked people to contact the District Magistrate of their native districts as well. Priority will also be given to those people who had gone for medical treatment and those who have lost their jobs and livelihoods.
The decision comes days after Keralites stuck in different parts of the world were asked to register on the same website for their arrival in the country. More than 2.5 lakh Keralites have registered for their return so far on the website. The number is expected to breach the 5 lakh figure in the coming days. The maximum number of people have registered from the United Arab Emirates followed by other Gulf countries. The decision to bring back Indian nationals was being considered by the Ministry of External Affairs in the wake of the Coronavirus induced lockdown in most countries of the world.