THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Expats arriving here are not to be viewed as virus carriers or targets for isolation, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. No one should fall prey to malicious propaganda by a few. This land belongs to expats too. No doors can close on them, emphasised CM at the Covid-19 assessment meeting held in the capital on Wednesday.
The outbreak in the state was not caused by anyone's mistake or carelessness. In one of the Covid update briefings, I said fresh infections on that particular day, were detected among arrivals from abroad. And that statement was misinterpreted by some to misleading levels.
Our brothers are heading back to the soil they have all right to return to. They have to be protected. Also, we ensure there occurs no safety risks to residents here. If checks at state borders are loosened or lifted, people coming in from red zones will mingle freely with people here, making it hazardous to the multitudes. This is reason why, checks at border passages including those at Walayar post, have been intensified. There is no need to assign another angle to it and people engaged in doing just that, have ulterior goals.
Incidentally, most returnees are free of the virus. All the same, some did prove to be asymptomatic carriers. It might not be possible to always make out carriers as they arrive. There could be virus-borne individuals in a group of largely non-infected persons. Given such situation, it is essential to upkeep strict screening procedures at entry points. Such measures are meant for the safety of those arriving as well as those residing here, CM said.
