16 out of 78 evacuees from Afghanistan test positive for coronavirus

New Delhi : 16 out of 78 Afghanistan evacuees, including three Sikhs who carried the 'swaroops' of Guru Granth Sahib have tested positive for coronavirus. Taking precautionary measures all the 78 evacuees have been quarantined.

On Tuesday, 78 people, including 46 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus, flew into Delhi from Kabul via Dushanbe on an Air India flight along with three copies of Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib.

Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and V Muraleedharan personally went to IGI airport in Delhi to receive the three copies of the Sikh scripture The three copies of Guru Granth Sahib were later taken to Guru Arjan Dev Ji Gurdwara in New Mahavir Nagar, according to Chandhok.

According to an office memorandum issued by the Union Health Ministry on Monday, people arriving from Afghanistan have to undergo a mandatory minimum 14-day institutional quarantine at the ITBP facility. Any person testing positive or detected as symptomatic shall be shifted to dedicated Covid Care Centre or Covid hospital of NCT of Delhi, the memorandum read.

While evacuation process is underway, more than 200 Afghan Sikhs are still stranded in Taliban-occupied Afghanistan.

These people have taken shelter at the Karte Parwan gurdwara in Kabul, which is close to the airport, he said. According to people sheltered in the gurdwara, the 10-kilometre-long drive to the international airport through various checkpoints is one of the biggest challenges in the rescue efforts.

According to a report, India has brought back more than 800 people from Afghanistan till Tuesday night. India is carrying out the evacuation missions in coordination with the US and several other friendly countries.

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