After 125 passengers on an international chartered flight from Italy's Milan tested positive for COVID-19 on arrival at Amritsar airport, 13 passengers ran away from the hospital, reported NDTV.
Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Khehra told NDTV that they will "initiate proceedings to cancel their passport." "If they don't return by morning, we will publish their photos in the newspaper," he warned.
He also said that FIRs under the Epidemic Act and the Disaster Management Act will be registered against them.
A total of 125 passengers on a Milan-Amritsar charter flight were found to be Covid-positive when tested on arrival.
According to Airport Director V K Seth, there were a total of 179 passengers on the charter flight that landed at the Amritsar airport around 11.30 AM on Thursday.
Since Italy is one of the "at risk" countries according to the Union Health Ministry, all eligible passengers -- 160 in this case -- were tested for COVID-19 and 125 of them were found to be positive, they mentioned.
Out of total 179 passengers, 19 were children or infant so they were exempt from on-arrival RT-PCR testing, they said. The charter flight YU-661 between Milan in Italy and Amritsar in Punjab was operated by Portuguese company EuroAtlantic Airways, they mentioned.
The Amritsar airport authorities stated on Twitter that they have taken all necessary actions to stop the spread of COVID-19. "In today's flight all 125 pax tested positive, are being attended by state health officials. Rest 35 pax tested negative have been advised self monitoring and would be under supervision," the airport noted.
(With inputs from PTI)
