Hyderabad: Several international passengers who travelled with negative COVID-19 reports have been found positive for the pathogen when tested on arrival at the international airport here, airport sources said.
Cases of international passengers being found positive in tests conducted at the airport despite having a negative report were being reported on regular basis, they said.
Confirming that such cases had been noticed, Union Health Ministry official Anuradha Medoju here said the information on positive cases was shared with state government officials for quarantining and other purposes.
“A few cases (of COVID-19 positive on arrival) are reported in spite of them carrying negative report…,” she told PTI.
The official, however, said she does not have details immediately on the number of such passengers.
State health officials could not be reached for their comments.
Airport sources said those arriving from the Middle-East and the UK are tested mandatorily, while passengers from countries like US, Singapore and Maldives are allowed to go home if they carry a negative RT-PCR report of 72 hours.
While it was doubted that some might be faking their test reports in order to travel, the airport sources said in the case of positive results on arrival, it could be due to the quick incubation of virus (during journey).
It was also possible that a person might be tested negative for some reasons before the journey despite him carrying the virus in reality.
Subscribe to our channels on YouTube & Telegram
Why news media is in crisis & How you can fix it
India needs free, fair, non-hyphenated and questioning journalism even more as it faces multiple crises.
But the news media is in a crisis of its own. There have been brutal layoffs and pay-cuts. The best of journalism is shrinking, yielding to crude prime-time spectacle.
ThePrint has the finest young reporters, columnists and editors working for it. Sustaining journalism of this quality needs smart and thinking people like you to pay for it. Whether you live in India or overseas, you can do it here.