Covid-19 in Delhi: Flyers from ‘high risk’ nations narrate airport ordeal

Many of them even took to social media to narrate their ordeal, appealing to the government and agencies concerned to take note of the matter and ensure procedures were carried out faster.

Several flyers who landed at Delhi airport on Monday from countries designated “high-risk” for coronavirus disease, and for which quarantine has been mandated in India, had to spend long hours before they were examined and sent to their respective facilities.

An officer from the airport said that these passengers are arriving in large number every day and medical staff of the Airport Health Organization (APHO) is limited. (Amal KS/HT PHOTO)

Many of them even took to social media to narrate their ordeal, appealing to the government and agencies concerned to take note of the matter and ensure procedures were carried out faster.

A 46-year-old Indian national, who lives in Germany, and arrived in Delhi around 9am Monday, said that his and other passenger’s passports were taken and they were made to spend more than 10 hours in a crowded room.

“We were screened around 2pm, and we could leave the airport only by 8pm. Me and two family members of mine are in a Delhi government quarantine facility right now. Our passports have still not been returned,” he said, asking not to be named.

Another woman, a student from Paris, who returned to India on Sunday, said she arrived at Delhi airport around 9am, but left only by around 4pm.

“After our screening, we were made to sit with no information. We were told we will be sent to a quarantine facility. I am still in one of those facilities. We were not served any food or refreshments at the airport,” the woman said, who also asked not to be named.

An officer from the airport said that these passengers are arriving in large number every day and medical staff of the Airport Health Organization (APHO) is limited.

“This causes long queues in the pro-immigration area of the airport. Because every passenger needs to be thoroughly examined, it takes time. As a result others have to wait. Some even end up waiting for 4-5 hours,” the official said, requesting anonymity.

“We have just started the process and are trying to streamline it. We are aware of the matter, and will try and plug any gaps that exist,” said an official of the Union health ministry.

In a travel advisory issued on Wednesday, the government had said that anyone arriving from seven countries — China, Italy, Iran, Republic of Korea, France, Spain and Germany — shall be quarantined from March 13 onwards.

However, on Monday, in its revised advisory, the government added four more countries to this category — United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. “This will come into effect from 1200 GMT on March 18, 2020 at the port of first departure,” the advisory said.

The passengers are being mandatorily quarantined by the APHO in three categories, depending on the basis of severity of symptoms.

While category A comprises the high-risk passengers, requiring mandatory segregation and isolation, who are directly sent to hospitals, those under category B pose a moderate risk, and need to be shifted to dedicated state government’s quarantine facility.

Passengers in category C, at low risk, need to be kept under home quarantine and are monitored.