THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Health Minister of Kerala Veena George has announced the release of modified guidelines for the international travelers coming to the state. The decision was taken in the review meeting chaired by the chief minister, after considering the requests of travelers and evaluating the Covid situation in the state by a panel of experts. The international travelers should strictly follow the guidelines for the safety of their family and the society, said the minister.

All the international travelers coming to Kerala should undergo symptom surveillance. The traveler will have to undertake an RT-PCR test, if found symptomatic. Further measures should be taken on the basis of the test results. The cost of random testing of two percent of the international airline passengers will be borne by the state. These passengers have to be traced by the airline staff. The state will bear the cost of their tests.

The international passengers are advised to self monitor for seven days from the day of the arrival. If symptomatic, they should undergo Covid testing and strictly follow the Covid guidelines. The passengers have been asked to avoid going to closed spaces and crowded areas. The samples of those who are tested positive will be sent for genome sequencing. The treatment of Covid positive travelers will be done in accordance with the current guidelines. It is also advisable for the travelers to take a rapid antigen test on the eighth day of their arrival.