Until Monday night, more than two lakh expats enrolled on Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA) website to return back to Kerala. The number is expected to rise in the coming days, as no particular deadline has been set for the submissions yet.

According to an Onmanorama report, maximum registrations are from the UAE followed by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. Non-Resident Keralites from Asian countries including Malaysia and Singapore; USA and the UK have also registered on the platform.

Expatriates with a negative Covid-19 certificate will only be allowed to return home once the Narendra Modi-led government gives nod to commence operations for bringing back stranded Indians. The Kerala government has also proposed that priority should be given to urgent cases including pregnant women, the elderly, children, critically ill patients and students.

All four Kerala airports — Trivandrum International Airport, Cochin International Airport, Kozhikode International Airport and Kannur International Airport will be equipped with screening facilities to test citizens flying in from abroad.

Protocols that need to be followed by the returnees:

  • Remain in home quarantine for 14 days, even though they have a negative result.
  • Those who cannot go home can stay at the government-run quarantine facility.
  • Relatives should desist from receiving the returnees at the airports.
  • Returnees should head straight to the home and not visit any friends or relatives.
  • Those arriving with Covid-19 symptoms will be shifted to the designated hospital for further tests.

Furthermore, Keralites who wish to come back from other Indian states should register their names with NORKA, starting tomorrow.