High drama at Amritsar airport after 125 passengers of Italy-Amritsar flight test positive for Covid

Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 6

As many as 125 passengers out of 179, who arrived at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport Rajasansi from Italy, tested positive here today. The Air India flight arrived at the airport around 11.20 am. The Covid-positive passengers were asked to quarantine in local hospital as per the guidelines of the government. 

A high drama prevailed at the airport when they refused to go to government isolation centers. The passengers claimed that they had already undergone the RT-PCR test before boarding the flight. “If majority of passengers had tested positive, then why any of the airline staff not tested Covid-positive?” asked a passenger. 

Irked over the airport and health authorities, the passengers raised slogans against the government and demanded it to allow them to go to their homes. The relatives of the passengers too staged a protest outside the airport. 

The matter was resolved after five hours, after the health authorities agreed to put them under home quarantine with certain conditions. The passengers left for their respective villages and home towns in the evening. 

VK Seth, Director of the airport, said: “A total of 125 passengers of Air India’s Italy-Amritsar flight have tested positive for Covid-19 on arrival. It took two hours to conduct the rapid PCR test. We have asked the passengers to follow government guidelines. Later, they were handed over to state authorities for further action”. 

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