India on Thursday confirmed one of its nationals had died in Iran after being infected by the Coronavirus, the first death outside the country, as officials said those who tested positive for COVID-19 in Tehran and Qom had been segregated for treatment.
A total of 255 Indians, mostly Shia pilgrims from Ladakh, tested positive in Iran and officials initially faced problems in separating them from relatives. The infected people are being treated in a “hospital kind of environment”, officials said.
Additional secretary Dammu Ravi, the external affairs ministry’s pointperson for COVID-19-related matters, told a news briefing an elderly man had died in Iran. He noted the virus attacks vulnerable age groups with low immunity, and made it clear the death wasn’t due to “lack of attention or care”.
“Any death of an Indian is unfortunate,” Ravi said, adding the situation in Iran is “very severe”. Infected people were segregated with the help of Iranian authorities and will be brought back once they recover, he said.
India has evacuated 591 people from Tehran and some more are set to return by the weekend. People familiar with developments said the infected people are being treated in a makeshift facility in Qom.
{{/usCountry}}India has evacuated 591 people from Tehran and some more are set to return by the weekend. People familiar with developments said the infected people are being treated in a makeshift facility in Qom.
{{/usCountry}}The Indian mission has made special arrangements to supply provisions to Indians stranded on Iran’s Kish Island, an isolated area that is difficult to access.
Officials said 376 of 380 samples collected from Indians in Italy had tested negative, and these people are expected to be evacuated by the weekend.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the $10-million COVID emergency fund announced by India during a video conference of leaders of Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) states on Sunday is “up and running” and the quantum of requests received was more than $1 million.
Most requests were for medical items and India has despatched supplies to the Maldives and Iran. Requests for rapid response teams from Nepal and the Maldives are being followed up. A video conference of Saarc health professionals has been scheduled on March 26 to discuss best practices and online training.
The external affairs ministry’s COVID-19 control room, manned round the clock by 30 officials, will be beefed up to deal with queries from specific countries. The room now receives 600 phone calls and 400 emails a day.
The officials reiterated it was best for Indians in COVID-19-affected regions to “stay put”. Kumar said: “It is best they stay put...if they’re not at an epicentre...Where we release the situation is getting out of hand, then we try to bring them in.”