Covid-19: Concern in Guwahati locality after arrival of 5 foreigners

The police said that the foreigners had completed their quarantine period in Manipur and they have approval from the external affairs ministry to travel to Delhi via Assam.

Updated on: Apr 13, 2020, 09:02:40 IST

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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Arrival of five foreign nationals at a locality in Assam’ Guwahati raised concerns among residents on Sunday night over fears of contracting coronavirus.

People stand in a queue to buy stuff from shop after nod from government during the lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus, in Guwahati on Sunday. (ANI Photo)

The foreigners - three French, one Italian and one Spanish - had entered Assam from Manipur and had checked into a guest house in the Beltola area of the city.

As soon as local residents came to know about it, they informed the Hatigaon police station. The police rushed a team to the spot and took them to the station and conducted their health check-up.

Additional DGP (Law and Order) Assam Police, GP Singh, took to Twitter to inform that the foreign nationals reached Guwahati from Manipur and are on their way to Delhi.

Urging the public not to panic, he added that the foreigners had completed their quarantine period in Manipur and they have approval from the external affairs ministry to travel to Delhi via Assam.

“3 French, 1 Italian, 1 Spanish nationals have reached Guwahati, Assam from Manipur enroute Delhi. They have approval of ministry of external affairs to travel from Manipur to Delhi via Siliguri (West Bengal). They have completed their quarantine in Manipur. There’s no need to panic,” he tweeted.

According to reports, the foreign tourists had entered India via the Moreh border with Myanmar in Manipur prior to start of the 21-day lockdown.

Sources said that Assam Police will take the foreigners by road to the Srirampur border with West Bengal and will hand them over to authorities of the neighbouring state.

The total number of Covid-19 infected people reached 9,152 in India on Monday after 620 fresh cases were reported in the last 24 hours. The health ministry said that 35 more people died of the disease in the last 24 hours.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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