Seven Maldivians Can Finally Return To Their Loved Ones After Testing Negative For Coronavirus

Seven Maldivian citizens who were quarantined at the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) facility in Chhawla near Delhi have left for their home country. The Maldivian nationals who were part of the more than 600 people India had evacuated from Wuhan, the epicenter of the deadly coronavirus outbreak earlier this month.

They were part of the nearly 200-people contingent who were discharged from the ITBP facility on Monday after their quarantine period ended and they were tested negative for the infection, now named Covid-19 by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

ANI

"After the final coronavirus test reports of all 406 people living at our facility were found negative, the first batch was discharged today. "We expect about 200 people will leave by tonight. The rest will be sent on Tuesday and in the subsequent days as per the travel plans of the inmates," ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey told news agency PTI.

The evacuees thanked the government, medical staff and ITBP personnel for ensuring proper food, hygiene, hot water, indoor games and entertainment at the facility for them.

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As the seven Maldivians left for their home, the ITBP also presented them with a rose and a calendar.

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For the Indian nationals who were discharged, the ITBP is also providing official vehicles to those who want to go to the airport, railway stations and bus stands. It is also providing vehicles to drop those home who hails from the national capital or have a relative in Delhi.

A total of 650 people were brought back from Wuhan in China on February 1 and 2 in two 747 Boeing Air India aircraft after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China. While 406 of these were sent to the ITBP facility, the rest were quarantined at an Army centre in Haryana's Manesar.

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India had also offered to evacuate Pakistani students who were also stuck in Wuhan after their country refused to evacuate them. India had, however, said that Pakistan should officially ask for it, which never happened.

Earlier three Indian nationals, all from Kerala who were medical students in Wuhan who were the only confirmed case of Covid-19 India so far have also been discharged after they recovered and their test results turned out to be negative.

The only other confirmed case of Indians contracting the virus are the crew and passengers on the cruise ship Diamond Princess, which is quarantined off Japan. A total of 138 Indians, including 132 crew and 6 passengers, were among the 3,711 people on board the ship, Diamond Princess. Out of these, five including three Indian crew members had tested positive for the virus and are receiving treatment.