Gracy Tripathy
Port Blair, September 6: As Unlock-4 began, the stranded people are looking forward to travel back their respective places as soon as possible. Likewise, yesterday there was a huge confusion when the stranded people from Nancowry boarded MV Coral Queen vessel on 5th September and reached back Port Blair today, without any Covid-19 test.
As per passengers who boarded their ship from Nancowry, COVID19 test were conducted neither at Kamorta Island nor at Port Blair. Everyone knows that COVID-19 infection has already reached Nancowry and it is a big question as to why there was no tests done. According to an order of Directorate of Shipping Services dated 31 August 2020, all passengers boarding any ship will have to mandatorily undergo COVID-19 test for which passengers have to pay Rs.500.
But in this sailing no such tests were conducted and hence the passengers were confused and equally scared.
However, when Andaman Sheekha contacted Deputy Commissioner, Nicobar District Mr. Kishore Kshirsagar Laskman, he said that as of now Nancowry has only one positive case and the patient is under observation.
“We made sure that our medical team conducts thermal scanning for the passengers along with the enquiry regarding the quarantine rules, with the checking of symptomatic people among the passengers. We ensure that only people fit to travel are allowed to board the ship” he added.
He further said that, only limited passengers were allowed that is 50% according to the protocol.
Regarding requirement of a test, he said that test is required only for the people travelling to Tribal Area and there is no protocol to conduct test for the people departing for Port Blair.
However, many believe that it is a good idea to conduct COVID19 tests even for the passengers traveling from the Nicobar Islands to Port Blair because even those islands have got COVID-19 cases and it will be a great risk if even one positive patient comes in contact with the rest of the passengers inside any ship.
