Kerala has stuck to its stance that expatriates returning by chartered and other flights from June 25 should not be allowed to board the flight untested for COVID-19, even as the Centre rejected the State’s request for a relatively speedier and cheaper TrueNat Beta CoV test. All boarding the aircraft should undergo the test and they should not get infected during the flight,” Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Tuesday. “We are expecting a quick decision,” the Chief Minister said, giving details of the External Affairs Ministry’s communication to the Chief Secretary. The State urged the Centre to direct the embassies to make arrangements to conduct the test where expatriates are facing difficulties in getting them done. For those who cannot afford the test, it should be done free of cost.

Source: The Hindu June 23, 2020 17:02 UTC