AI BRINGS BACK INDIANS STRANDED IN SINGAPORE
NEW DELHI: An Air India repatriation flight from Singapore landed at the Delhi airport on Friday morning with 234 passengers, according to a report. The flight was part of the Vande Bharat mission, which started on Thursday to bring back stranded Indian nationals home amid the novel Coronavirus-induced lockdown.
“The B-787 plane of Air India with 234 passengers landed at the Delhi airport around 11.45 am,” an official of the airline said.
The passengers waived, smiled and gave a thumps up to mediapersons after stepping out of the plane. They were then screened and triaged for possible Coronavirus infection.
Shilpa Shinde, special secretary (health and family welfare), has been appointed the nodal officer for the Delhi chapter of the operation. She said, “The entire process went on smoothly and none of the passengers had any trouble. We are prepared for the next set of passengers who will be coming in tomorrow (Saturday).”
With Delhi residents expected to return from across the globe over the next eight days, the Delhi government on Thursday arranged for paid quarantine facilities in more than 1,500 rooms in city hotels.
The government has tied up with seven hotels for quarantine
The passengers waived, smiled and gave a thumps up to mediapersons after stepping out of the plane
facilities, which will be offered for prices between Rs 2,000 plus taxes and Rs 4,800 plus taxes, depending on the overall rating of the hotel and the choice of room (single or double bed). The rate includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, two bottles of mineral water per day, tea and coffee, and other facilities, such as Wi-fi and TV. Food from a set menu will be served to the quarantined guests only in disposal plates and their clothes will be laundered separately, according to reports.
The Delhi government issued a revised order on Thursday in which it specified that everyone will have to mandatorily be under institutional quarantine in a self paid facility for 14 days from the date of arrival. The order clarified that Delhi will house returnees belonging to neighbouring states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
The quarantine facility will be paid for by the passengers though the government has made arrangements too but they have kept that on stand by as of now.