ITBP denies COVID case reports among Afghan evacuees

New Delhi: Amid reports that 16 Afghanistan evacuees out of the 78 that landed in India yesterday are coronavirus positive, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) informed on Wednesday that no evacuee was tested positive.

It further said that all of them are sent for 14-day mandatory quarantine at the force's centre in Chhawla in the southwest.

"There are no COVID-19 positive cases out of 78 persons (Who came from Afghanistan last night) who are presently under institutional quarantine at ITBP Quarantine Facility at Chhawla Camp, New Delhi," tweeted the ITBP.

There are no (no) #Covid19 positive cases out of 78 persons (Who came from #Afghanistan last night) who are presently under institutional quarantine at ITBP Quarantine Facility at Chhawla Camp, New Delhi. pic.twitter.com/d3tvHabkTz

— ITBP (@ITBP_official) August 25, 2021

The force has also been asked to make the requisite arrangements for arranging the transportation of passengers from the airport to the Chhawla camp. Any person testing positive shall be shifted to the identified dedicated Covid care centre or Covid hospital under the Delhi government.

Considering the nature of the present crisis, the Health Ministry had already made exemptions for mandatory pre-boarding RT-PCR testing (presently mandated for international travellers).

India has stepped up efforts to evacuate its citizens as well as Afghan citizens fleeing their country because of the worsening security situation after the Taliban's stunning sweep to power last week.

A total of 626 people, including 228 Indian citizens, have been evacuated from Afghanistan till now, informed Minister Hardeep Puri. He also informed that 77 among them were Afghan Sikhs. The number of Indian citizens evacuated does not include those working in the Indian Embassy, Mr Puri added.