KOLKATA: Twenty-two days after British-flagged cruise liner Diamond Princess reached Yokohama in Japan on February 3, 122 Indians — including five from Bengal — aboard the ship, who tested negative for COVID-19, are likely to be flown to New Delhi in a chartered flight on Wednesday. With two more Indians testing positive on Tuesday, 16 crew members are now being treated for COVID-19. The fate of a sixth crew member from Bengal is not clear.
The Indian Embassy in Tokyo had send a detailed e-mail to all those who have tested negative and sought their consent to be flown to New Delhi first to be kept in a quarantined facility off Delhi for a fortnight. Among the 122 Indians, there are nearly five crew members from Bengal. Swarup Chapadar, one of the five crew members, said: “We have received an e-mail. We thank the Indian embassy for flying us home. We will be in Delhi for a fortnight in a special quarantined facility and will then head home. ”
The Indian Embassy in Tokyo informed on their Twitter handle that a chartered flight is being arranged to repatriate Indian nationals onboard Diamond Princess. All those being repatriated should provide their consent, should have tested negative for COVID-19 and cleared by the medical team. The Embassy said the results of all 138 Indians — 132-member crew and six passengers — have been declared. Two more have tested positive taking the total to 16. It said that the Indian government will facilitate the return of the rest.
“This has been the toughest three weeks of our life. It would have been nice if everybody, including one of our colleague from Bengal, could return with us. But we hope and pray they will recover and join us soon,” he said.
“We will be flown in to New Delhi. We will be treated there for some days before we can go home. It is a great relief to be back home,” he said. Swarup said, “On shore, we have been told, we will be tested by a medical team before we can take the Delhi flight. It will be the end of an ordeal. We spent every day fearing the worst by being locked up in our cabins.”
The Indian Embassy in Tokyo had send a detailed e-mail to all those who have tested negative and sought their consent to be flown to New Delhi first to be kept in a quarantined facility off Delhi for a fortnight. Among the 122 Indians, there are nearly five crew members from Bengal. Swarup Chapadar, one of the five crew members, said: “We have received an e-mail. We thank the Indian embassy for flying us home. We will be in Delhi for a fortnight in a special quarantined facility and will then head home. ”
The Indian Embassy in Tokyo informed on their Twitter handle that a chartered flight is being arranged to repatriate Indian nationals onboard Diamond Princess. All those being repatriated should provide their consent, should have tested negative for COVID-19 and cleared by the medical team. The Embassy said the results of all 138 Indians — 132-member crew and six passengers — have been declared. Two more have tested positive taking the total to 16. It said that the Indian government will facilitate the return of the rest.
“This has been the toughest three weeks of our life. It would have been nice if everybody, including one of our colleague from Bengal, could return with us. But we hope and pray they will recover and join us soon,” he said.
“We will be flown in to New Delhi. We will be treated there for some days before we can go home. It is a great relief to be back home,” he said. Swarup said, “On shore, we have been told, we will be tested by a medical team before we can take the Delhi flight. It will be the end of an ordeal. We spent every day fearing the worst by being locked up in our cabins.”
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