Tamil Nadu has received around 17,000 returnees under the Vande Bharat Mission, which has been gaining momentum over the past two weeks.

Nearly 2,000 returnees arrived on three ships, while around 90 flights brought back the rest. Those who had returned by sea came from Sri Lanka and Maldives, and their arrival point in the State was Thoothukudi. On Wednesday, fishermen stranded in Iran, most of whom hail from Kanniyakumari, are expected to reach the harbour in the southern part of the State.

With the authorities allowing international flights to Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchi and Madurai, the returnees’ figure has reached around 15,000, according to an official overseeing the return of expatriates and persons stranded abroad.

The tally is likely to reach 20,000 in a week. Apart from the Gulf, flights have come in from destinations like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Moscow, Kiev and Frankfurt. On an average, four-five flights reach the State every day. On Tuesday, the number of flights that had arrived was eight — the highest so far, the official noted.

Over 70,000 persons have registered themselves on the portal https://non- residenttamil.org/ launched by the State government. All the returnees have also furnished their information to the respective Missions. The authorities are conscious of the fact that approximately 40,000 persons are expected to return to the State.

As for the procedures being adopted, the returnees, on arrival, are being screened for COVID-19, after which they have to undergo mandatory institutional quarantine for seven days. As many as 285 returnees have tested positive so far.

Claiming that free quarantine facilities were being offered, the official said that broadly, two flat rates — ₹1,500 and ₹2,500 — were being charged per day for paid facilities.