35 Indians repatriated from Singapore quarantined at 4-star hotel in Greater Noida

Thirty-five Indians repatriated from Singapore have been accommodated at a four-star hotel in Uttar Pradesh's Greater Noida for quarantine in view of the COVID-19 outbreak, officials said on Saturday.

These people returned to Delhi on May 8 on a special Air India flight after which they were brought to Gautam Buddh Nagar, where they are being monitored by medical teams till they complete the mandatory quarantine period, they said.

Each person is being charged Rs 2,000 a day for a room at the Savoy Suites in Greater Noida and the cost includes food and taxes, the district administration said in a statement.

"Some of the returnees belong to the lower income group and have expressed inability to afford the hotel expenses. These people have been offered the facility to shift to government-run quarantine centres," according to the statement.

The administration said it has appointed officers to inspect the facilities being provided to the repatriated Indians, who were stuck abroad due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown, and address their concerns, if any.

"Some of the returnees wanted the centrally-controlled air conditioner to work but that service has been stopped on advice of medical experts. There is no provision for window AC in any room but each has a fan," it stated.

Each person is provided with breakfast, lunch, snacks in the evening and dinner, the statement said, adding some people had raised concerns over the quality of the food which has been accordingly communicated to the hotel.

"Free wi-fi internet service is also being provided within the hotel premises, while proper cleanliness is being ensured in the rooms as well as the entire complex," it added.

Adjoining Delhi, Gautam Buddh Nagar in western UP has recorded 216 positive cases of coronavirus, including two deaths, till Saturday, even as 121 patients have recovered from the disease and got discharged from hospitals so far, according to official figures.