Kerala opens border at six places to enable Keralites return from other states
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala on Monday opened its borders at six places for Keralites stranded in other states due to the COVID-19 lockdown to return to their native.
The government through an order issued earlier had designated six entry points for receiving the stranded persons from other States to enter Kerala.
The stranded Keralites can enter the state through border check-posts at Inchivila in Thiruvananthapuram, Aryankavu in Kollam, Kumily in Idukki, Walayar in Palakkad, Muthanga in Wayanad and Manjeshwar in Kasaragod.
NORKA (Non Resident Keralites Affairs) department had on Sunday said that at least 1.5 lakh Keralites from other states had registered to return after the Centre opens inter- state borders.
As per the state government order, it has directed the district administration to ensure a facility at each designated entry points to accommodate at least 500 persons at a time and enough parking space for the vehicles near the borders.
"We have already set up 60 counters to receive the Keralites coming from the other side of the border. We will set up more if required. As of now, school teachers are helping at us the help-desks and police, health and revenue officials are also here," Kasaragod district collector D Sajith Babu told mediapersons.
He said the district administration would ensure that everyone maintains social distancing and discouraged those who reach the border without registering with Norka.
He said those who have registered with the Norka will have a vehicle pass and the persons will be medically examined at the border.
"There is a team of doctors here. If a group of people are coming to the state, one persons need to approach the counter to give details of the persons in the vehicle while the rest of them remain in the vehicle. The doctors will examine everyone for any symptoms. If anyone has any symptoms, they will be isolated and the district administration will take necessary steps," Babu said.
The district administration has also readied enough number of ambulances to take any symptomatic persons to hospitals.
The government order, undersigned by state Principal Secretary Bishwanath Sinha, the state co-ordinator for inter- state transit, has also mentioned those who will get priority to cross the border.
Those from neighbouring states seeking medical aid in Kerala, pregnant women with family, family members including children separated due to lockdown, students, senior citizens with family members and persons who lost job are given priority over others to enter Kerala, the order read.
NORKA had said yesterday that at least 1.5 lakh Keralites from other states have registered in its website to return to the state once the centre opens the inter-state borders.
Out of the 1.5 lakh Keralites from other states, over 50,000 are from Karnataka and 45,491 from Tamil Nadu. At least 20,869 from Maharashtra have registered with Norka to return to the state.
The state government had earlier said that those who returned from other states will be medically examined at the borders and those who are symptomatic will be isolated and quarantined.
The government has also said that those who don't have any symptoms will also have to undergo the mandatory quarantine period of 28 days once they enter the border.
In a relief to Kerala, no new cases were reported from the state on Sunday while one person was cured.
Till now 499 persons were affected in the state while three deaths were also reported. Kerala has currently 95 people s under treatment for the deadly coronavirus and cured 401 people of COVID-19.
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Late flourish masks CSK’s batting woes on lively Chepauk track, hosts post 158/7
Chennai (PTI): Bowlers calling the shots in a format dominated by big hitters is a rarity, but that script played out at Chepauk on Sunday as Gujarat Titans exploited a lively, bounce-friendly surface to stifle Chennai Super Kings before the hosts managed a late flourish to reach 158 for 7.
On a pitch that offered sharp carry, stroke-making demanded discretion and adaptability. Instead, CSK’s batters often opted for high-risk shots without fully assessing conditions, and paid the price with a flurry of miscued dismissals.
Invited to bat, CSK never quite found rhythm but skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s maiden half-century (74 not out) of the current IPL season lent a semblance of respectability to the total in a season where 200-plus scores have become commonplace.
Gaikwad's knock came off 60 balls with six fours and four sixes after a laboured start.
The tone was set early by GT pacer Mohammed Siraj, who extracted steep bounce and forced errors.
Sanju Samson (11) began watchfully, negotiating the first over before opening up against Kagiso Rabada to bring up his 5000 IPL runs milestone. However, Rabada’s bounce soon accounted for him as a hard slash outside off resulted in a faint edge that Jos Buttler pouched safely.
The dismissal triggered a collapse. Urvil Patel (4) fell in the same Rabada over attempting an ambitious pull, while Sarfaraz Khan (0) succumbed to Siraj’s extra lift, mistiming a short ball to offer a simple catch.
At 28 for 3 inside the Powerplay, CSK were already in trouble.
Gaikwad and Dewald Brevis (2) needed to rebuild, but the latter’s impatience against spinner Manav Suthar led to his downfall, holing out after failing to get to the pitch of the ball.
The mounting wickets forced Gaikwad into a shell — an approach that, while understandable, further stalled the momentum. His reluctance to improvise allowed dot balls to pile up, with CSK reaching 50 only in the 12th over.
The skipper eventually broke free, taking on Arshad Khan and Jason Holder with a couple of towering sixes, but the acceleration came too late.
Shivam Dube, dropped thrice on 6, 11 and 22, struggled for fluency before Arshad cleaned him up.
Kartik Sharma (15) and Jamie Overton (18) provided late impetus with a few lusty hits, but the damage had already been done.
On a pitch that rewarded discipline and smart shot selection, Titans' bowlers executed their plans to perfection, while CSK’s batters failed to read the conditions in time, a lapse that ultimately defined the innings.
