Mandatory COVID-19 test for chartered flight passengers to Kerala

Muscat: Indian nationals travelling to Kerala from Oman on chartered flights after 20 June, must first get themselves tested for COVID-19 before being allowed to board, the Embassy of India in Oman has said.
“The COVID-19 test is only applicable to those passengers travelling by chartered flights and not for the Vande Bharat Mission flights and it is based on the Kerala government’s directive to our embassy in Muscat,” said an official at the Indian embassy.
“The social organisations and NGOs who are operating these charter flights can advise the passengers on these tests,” he added.
Passengers looking to fly to Kerala can get themselves tested at any government or privately-run health institution in the Sultanate. Some 9,000 Indians have already been repatriated from Oman to India so far, according to Munu Mahawar, the ambassador of India to Oman.
He said: “The number of people travelling was expected to be high, but we are deliberately not releasing the numbers of people who have registered to travel, because all those who have registered might not necessarily be travelling.
“As of now, close to 9,000 Indian nationals have travelled back to India, since the beginning of this operation,” he added.
“We have repatriated people on flights as part of the Vande Bharat mission, and we have also repatriated people on charter flights being organised by various companies or social welfare organisations. Out of these, 6,000 have returned on Vande Bharat flights, and 3,000 on chartered flights. This process will continue in the future as well.”