Port Blair, June 07: The Andaman and Nicobar Administration is continuously bringing back the residents of Andaman & Nicobar Islands from the mainland Indian, who are stranded since Lockdown 1.0, imposed to prevent transmission of COVID – 1 9 disease.
The Andaman & Nicobar Administration had deputed special ships for their evacuation to the mainland. MV Nancowry has already sailed from Vishakhapatnam on June 5, 2020 with 420 such residents, which will be reaching Port Blair in the morning of June 9, 2020.
The first such ship brought back 87 residents from Chennai on June 1, 2020.
“All these passengers were kept in isolation in government facilities till they were tested negative and thereafter they were released to their home for home quarantine for 14 days inclusive of duration of their ship voyage and isolation in government facilities,” officials of Andaman’s Health Department said.
This is being done to mitigate any chance of transmission of COVID-19 virus from these passengers as they may have more inter-personal interaction with fellow passengers and are more likely to be infected.
“All the passengers of MV Nancowry will be similarly sent to government facilities for isolation from the disembarkation point and their samples will be taken on the same day,” officials added.
Subsequently, all asymptomatic negative tested passengers will be discharged from isolation to their homes for quarantine, as per the prescribed protocol.
“The symptomatic and positive tested passengers will continue to be kept under the government medical facilities as per their clinical symptoms. It has been decided by the Administration that the cost of COVID test, boarding and lodging in the government isolation facilities on arrival of these stranded passengers will be borne by the Administration,” an officials statement of A & N Administration said.
Moreover all asymptomatic passengers who are subsequently tested negative and who are residents of other Districts or Inter Islands i.e. other than Port Blair and Ferrargunj will be kept in government facilities at the cost of the Administration till the first available transport to their homes.
