MUSCAT: In a huge relief to thousands of stranded Indians in Oman who are wishing to return to Kerala, the government on Wednesday decided to relax the decision on mandatory Covid-19 test.

According to sources, the Kerala government has decided to implement Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits for passengers travelling from Oman instead of carrying Covid-19 test certificate. “The airline concerned will have to give the PPE kits for the passengers to wear before boarding the flight,” senior government official said.

Earlier, Kerala had made Covid-19 test mandatory for those travelling from GCC countries including Oman from June 25. The state government has suggested rapid antibody and TrueNat tests as alternatives to the RT-PCR test for getting Covid-negative certificates, but Oman have not approved these tests. Cost for PCR tests in private hospitals starts from OMR 55 onwards.

Many Keralities in Oman welcomed the new decision. “It’s a huge relief. I booked the ticket through charter flight and travelling on June 27 and was concerned about the test. PCR test is expensive in Oman. We are thankful to the Kerala government for the timely intervention. This is a good decision,” said Sajiv Menon, a Muscat based resident.

However, the Indian Embassy did not receive any intimation about the new decision at the time of publishing this news. “We have not received any intimation regarding this but the decision is welcoming,” said a senior Indian Embassy official.