Vistara asks staff to self-quarantine as Goan passenger on Mar 22 flight tests COVID-19 positive

Vistara on Monday asked crew members of its Mumbai-Goa flight on March 22 to self-quarantine after a passenger flying with it was tested positive for coronavirus.

The airline issued the direction soon after the Goa government announced that one person, who tested positive in the state on Sunday, had travel history from New York. He took Vistara domestic flight UK861 from Mumbai to Goa on March 22.

"We have provided all relevant information to the authorities for contact tracing. Staff who had operated the flight or come in contact with the passengers have been asked to self quarantine," a Vistara spokesperson said.

The Goa government has appealed to people who had travelled on the flight to immediately call on helpline 0832-2421810/2225538 or report to the nearest health centre.

As India is under a 21-day lockdown from March 25 to curb the spread of coronavirus, all domestic and international commercial passenger flights have been suspended for this period.

However, cargo flights, special flights conducted with the approval of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), offshore helicopter operations and medical evacuation flights have been exempted from the ban.