Indians stranded abroad to be brought back from 7 May

Due to the ongoing lockdown and shutting down of airports, thousands of Indians have been stranded in different parts of the globe. The central government is all set to bring back stranded Indians from 7 May based on a priority basis. This will reportedly be one of the world’s largest evacuations. Flights will being back Indians from the USA, Gulf countries, Singapore, Philippines and United Kingdom.

All the state governments have been asked prepare hospitals and medical staffs in order to accommodate those who return back home. Apart from aircrafts, Indian navy ships will also be used to bring back the stranded Indians.

Medical screening will be held on all the passengers before they board the flight and ships. Those who are found to be unfit will not be allowed to travel. The government said that all those who return must strictly follow the guidelines issued by central health ministry. This includes spending days in quarantine and downloading the ‘Arogya Setu’ mobile app as soon as they land in India.

The ticket fare must be borne by passengers. Earlier in March, the central government had brought back stranded Indians from countries like China and Iran. This was a few weeks before Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared for a complete lockdown of the country.

In India, over 46,000 people have been tested positive for COVID-19 virus. More than 1500 people lost their lives to the virus. The numbers are increasing at a rapid rate in the country.