As the Taliban took over Afghanistan, thousands from around the world have been left scrambling to evacuate. Over the last two weeks, there have been some rather horrific visuals that have gone viral - from stampede-like situations at Kabul airport to people falling off in mid-air after clinging to the wheels of a plane. Amid the frenzied events, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been relegated to the backburner.
A day after India brought back around 78 people including children, 16 evacuees have tested positive for COVID-19. According to reports, all of them are believed to be asymptomatic patients. The list of infected individuals include three granthis who carried the copies of the Sikh holy scriptures from Kabul to Delhi.
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had received the holy scriptures at the airport, sharing a video of him carrying a copy on his head. It is not clear whether the Central lawmakers and other politicians in attendance are quarantining themselves.
As a precautionary measure, all 78 individuals have been taken from Delhi airport to ITBP's Chhawla Camp. They will be undergoing a mandatory 14 day institutional quarantine.
"78 people including children who arrived from Afghanistan earlier today are being taken from Delhi airport to ITBP's Chhawla Camp where they will undergo mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine" Rajeev Kumar, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Gandhi Nagar.
On Monday, two people out of the 146 passengers who landed in Delhi from Afghanistan were found positive for COVID-19. India has been allowed to operate two flights per day from Kabul to evacuate its nationals stranded in Afghanistan, government sources had told ANI.
(With inputs from agencies)
