Kochi: INS Jalashwa carrying 698 repatriated Indian citizens from the Maldives arrived in Kochi harbour on Sunday morning, completing the Indian Navy's first massive evacuation exercise from foreign soil during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The passengers would disembark from the cruise terminal of Cochin Port Trust, officials said. Inspector General of Police Vijay Sakhare said all arrangements are in place to facilitate the safe stay of those repatriated, comprising 440 Keralites and people from other parts of the country.
Naval ship arrives in Kochi with 698 repatriated Indians Read: COVID-19 LIVE: Total count mounts to 62,939; death toll at 2,109
Four passengers are from Lakshwadeep. Besides these, the other passengers are from Tamil Nadu (187), Telganana (9), Andhra Pradesh (8), Karnataka (8), Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan (3 each) and Goa (1), Assam (1).
There are seven passengers each from Uttarakhand and West Bengal, Delhi (4), Puducherry (3), while there are two passengers each from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand, the sources said.
The Keralite passengers, once cleared by all statutory organisations, would be transported to different districts in KSRTC buses (30 per bus). Police would escort them till their quarantine facilities in every single district.
Passengers showing COVID-19 symptoms were disembarked first, followed by others in small groups, district-wise, a Port Trust official said.
Thermal screening of passengers on arrival was carried out by the Port Health Organisation. Customs and Immigration procedures are carried out inside the Terminal, where arrangements have also been made for distribution of SIM cards by BSNL and installation of Arogya Setu in mobile phones of passengers, the official said.
Disinfection facilities for baggage and free Wifi have been made available by the Port at the Terminal. Arrangements for onward travel to hospitals or institutional quarantine centres and home quarantine have been ensured by the state government by deploying ambulances, state transport buses and taxis, the official said.
(PTI report)
