Health authorities in Kerala’s Kochi in a fix as international arrivals go up exponentially

The case of Ernakulam native found infected with Omicron on his return from Congo exposes challenges faced by the health machinery, which is having a hard time carrying out contact tracing

The case of an Ernakulam native found infected with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus on his return from Congo has brought to light the mounting challenges faced by the authorities in ensuring that international travellers comply with the self-health monitoring and quarantine norms prescribed by the Health department.

The Health authorities in the district are having a hard time carrying out contact tracing and other follow-up measures, as the number of international travellers reaching the Cochin International Airport has gone up considerably. According to official estimates, around 55,000 travellers have arrived at the airport and left for various destinations since the first week of December. Of them, nearly 6,000 were from ‘at-risk’ countries.

A senior Health department official said the lack of adequate manpower combined with the waning support from local bodies and enforcement agencies has taken a toll on their efforts to track those returning from abroad and ensure that they comply with norms.