Coronavirus: First batch of 200 Wuhan evacuees discharged from ITBP quarantine camp

A batch of about 200 people, who were among over 400 quarantined at an ITBP facility in Delhi after being evacuated earlier this month from coronavirus-hit Wuhan, were discharged on Monday, a senior official said.

The centre housed a total of 406 people, including seven Maldivians.

"After the final coronavirus test reports of all 406 people living at our facility were found negative, the first batch was discharged today.

"We expect about 200 people will leave by tonight. The rest will be sent on Tuesday and in the subsequent days as per the travel plans of the inmates," ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey told PTI.

The first batch also includes the Maldivian nationals, he said.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan also visited the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) facility in Chhawla and interacted with the evacuees.

He told them about the steps taken by the government to combat the virus and the precautions to be taken in this context.

The minister also took a quick review of the measures taken over the last fortnight from the doctors supervising the campus.

Vardhan also handed out the discharged evacuees a rose and a packet containing the annual ITBP calendar each as a token of remembrance.

The evacuees thanked the government, medical staff and ITBP personnel for ensuring proper food, hygiene, hot water, indoor games and entertainment at the facility for them.

The ITBP is also providing official vehicles to those who want to go to airport, railway stations and bus stands. It is also providing vehicles to drop those home who hail from the national capital or have a relative here, a senior camp official said.

A total of 650 people were brought back from Wuhan in China on February 1 and 2 in two 747 Boeing Air India aircraft after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China.

While 406 of these were sent to the ITBP facility, the rest were quarantined at an Army centre in Haryana's Manesar.