NEW DELHI: India has evacuated 124 people including Nepali who have quarantined on board the Diamond Princess due to COVID19.
Air India flight has just landed in Delhi from Tokyo, carrying 119 Indians & 5 nationals from Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Africa and Peru who Appreciate the facilitation of Japanese authorities. Thank you Air India once again,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted.
Air India flight has just landed in Delhi from Tokyo,carrying 119 Indians & 5 nationals from Sri Lanka,Nepal, South Africa&Peru who were quarantined onboard the #DiamondPrincess due to #COVID19. Appreciate the facilitation of Japanese authorities.
Thank you @airindiain once again— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 26, 2020
The Union minister said out of 138 Indians originally on board the Diamond Princess, 16 Indian crew members have tested positive for coronavirus. He said those tested positive are receiving necessary medical care and treatment at onshore medical facilities in Japan.
All the evacuees will undergo a 14-day quarantine at a medical facility set-up by the Indian Army in Manesar.
Three Indian crew members did not board the special flight and conveyed their wish to continue their stay onboard the cruise ship to complete the period of extended quarantine put in place by the government of Japan, a government statement said. They were among the 3,711 people on board the Diamond Princess ship when it docked at the Yokohama port, near Tokyo, on February 3.
The ship was quarantined after a passenger who disembarked last month in Hong Kong was found to be the carrier of the disease.
India had earlier operated two special Air India flights on February 1 and 2 and airlifted 647 Indian nationals, mostly students, and seven Maldivian nationals. Wednesday’s flight was cleared by China after allegations of delay by Indian officials.
Similarly, The Indian Air Force (IAF) relief aircraft evacuated 76 Indians and 36 foreign nationals from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of coronavirus outbreak.
The C17 transport aircraft that left for China earlier with 15 tonnes of medical supplies from India to the virus-hit Wuhan landed in Delhi early Thursday morning.
Special flights of the Indian Air Force and Air India arrived in Delhi on Thursday morning after evacuating Indians and foreigners from coronavirus-hit Wuhan and quarantined cruise ship, Diamond Princess, in Japan.
“On its return from Wuhan, the IAF flight has brought back 76 Indians & 36 nationals from 7 countries – Bangladesh, Myanmar, Maldives, China, South Africa, USA, and Madagascar. Appreciate facilitation by the Chinese government,” Jaishankar tweeted.
(with inputs from Agencies)
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