International air passengers push up Andhra’s case count

On Monday, 62 international passengers who arrived in special Vande Bharat flights to the state tested positive, and a majority of them were from Kuwait.

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About 700 people in seven flights have returned to Andhra Pradesh from the Gulf countries since May 22. The first Vande Bharat mission flight with 149 passengers landed at Tirupati on May 22. (File Photo)

Andhra Pradesh has recorded a sharp uptick in the number of returnees from the Gulf countries testing positive for Covid-19.

On Monday, 62 international passengers who arrived in special Vande Bharat flights to the state tested positive, and a majority of them were from Kuwait. Of those who tested positive, 41 are from Kuwait, 3 from Qatar and 1 from Saudi Arabia. So far, 85 people have tested positive.

In Telangana, six people who returned from the Gulf tested positive on Sunday.

About 700 people in seven flights have returned to Andhra Pradesh from the Gulf countries since May 22. The first Vande Bharat mission flight with 149 passengers landed at Tirupati on May 22.

The Gulf evacuees testing positive is another worry for the health officials who are grappling with cases linked to the Koyambedu vegetable market in Chennai, which was a Covid-19 hotspot.

On Monday, 7 new cases linked to Koyambedu were reported. Like in many other states, a large number of people on the move have tested positive in Andhra Pradesh as well, but this has not led to a surge. The total number of confirmed infections in the state, now at 2,644, has been growing at a slow pace. The growth rate is just above 2% now, well below the national average of around 5%.

Like international passengers, who are screened and tested at the airports and then sent to quarantine facilities for 14 days, the government has decided to test all arriving domestic air passengers from Tuesday and prescribe a 7-day home quarantine.

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Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister (Health) A K Srinivas said passengers may choose between free government quarantine facilities or paid accommodation at hotels with which the state tourism department has tied up.

The state has scaled up isolation wards, quarantine facilities and beds in Covid-19 hospitals in eight districts — Anantapur, Kurnool, Chittoor, Guntur, Krishna, East Godavari, and Visakhapatnam—as a spike in cases are expected with the resumption of trains and flights.

Sreenivas Janyala

Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance. Expertise and Experience Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues: High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy. Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules. Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes. Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak. Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More

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