Kochi : The District Administration has put in place extraordinary arrangements to handle expats as they arrive in Air India fight from Abu Dhabi by 9.30 pm tonight at Nedumbassery airport.
Of the passengers, 25 belong to Ernakulam while the tally for other districts is : 73, Thrissur; 23 Malappuram; 15 Alappuzha; 13, Kottayam; 13 Palakkad;1, Kasaragod; 8 Pathanamthitta.
Upon arrival, the travelers will be transported to quarantine facilities set up in their respective home districts. However, pregnant women, elderly citizens and children below 10 years will allowed home to undergo quarantine there. A lone passenger from Malappuram will be placed at Ernakulam facility for observation. SCMS at Kalamassery has been converted into quarantine facility for expats belonging to the district.
The course from arrival to exiting the terminal is laid out with meticulous processing. At the very outright, a separate parking bay has been marked out for the special flight. It also has separate aero bridge reserved for its passengers. The course of movement up to exit has been rehearsed several times through mock drills in recent days.
As soon passengers appear at the terminal, temperature gun and thermal-scanners will screen them individually for possible symptoms of novel coronavirus. Those who might appear to have signs of infection will be transported by special ambulance to district hospital at Aluva at that point. Those clearing out this initial screening, will be directed to pass through the Health Counter for a second round of screening. There, if all goes well, they would be led to the immigration counter.
Glass screens have been installed at immigration counters that facilitate 10 staff to work simultaneously. Once immigration is cleared, the passenger will be directed to the baggage area. Markings have been made at both immigration counter and on sides of the conveyor belt, so the gaps for social distancing is adhered to during people’s wait time. Conveyor belt no. 5 has been assigned for passengers of tonight’s special flight.
CIAL sought cooperation from Defence Reserve Development Organisation for pandemic related exercises like baggage fumigation etc. With support from District authorities, State Health Department, police, local self bodies and CISF, CIAS designed its various Covid-19 protocol processes in place.
When baggage from the airplane reaches the luggage disposal system, they are first fumigated using hypochlorate. Following this the baggage gradually slides through two tunnels. Just before entering a tunnel, the baggage would be sprayed with ultraviolet rays on both its front and back side. After this if cleared out, the passenger is free to collect his baggage from the carousel. NPO developed this unique screening process with support from Kalamassery Medical College. Experiments conducted earlier had successfully indicated presence or otherwise of virus based on the amount of ultraviolet absorbed by the baggage.
500 trolleys have been reserved for passengers of the incoming special flight. Staff expected to come in direct contact with the expats have been provided PPE kits. CIAL will provide each passenger with a packet containing gloves, food and water. Around 50 staff in CIAL have been specially briefed on guidelines for safe distancing.
All cloth and leather furniture have been removed at the airport. Instead, around 2000 plastic chairs have been laid out in seating arrangement at various points. All equipments and terminals have been disinfected thrice. The process would be repeated each time a flight is processed. Passengers who emerge after all clearances, will be divided district-wise and board buses waiting by the airport’s entrance.
