At least 16 of the 78 Afghan evacuees who landed at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Tuesday have tested positive for coronavirus. Among them are three Afghan Sikhs who carried the Swaroops of Guru Granth Sahib from Kabul and were met at the Delhi airport by Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
All those who are positive have been admitted to LNJP Hospital and the rest are quarantined at an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) camp in south-west Delhi's Chhawla.
"As the COVID-19 immunization status of these individuals is unknown, and the exact extent of COVID-19 transmission (including circulation of variants) in Afghanistan is unclear at present, so as a matter of abundant precaution, it has been decided that the arriving persons shall undergo a mandatory minimum 14 days' institutional quarantine at Sector Headquarters Logistic and Communications, Indo Tibetan Border Police, Chhawla Camp," the Union Health Ministry`s office memorandum said.
All the evacuees coming from Afghanistan will have to undergo quarantine for 14 days at the ITBP quarantine centre, according to the guidelines of the Health Ministry.
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