Albilad had earlier reported that India facilitated the return of Indian nationals stranded abroad on compelling grounds in a ‘phased manner’ on Friday. Flight IX474 took off from Bahrain for Kochi with 177 passengers and 5 infants. The passengers consisted of the elderly, pregnant women, people who had medical problems and those whose visas had expired. 

According to the Times of India, nine of the 23 individuals who arrived have been lodged in quarantine centre managed by the government. Those who have been shifted to Thoovanisa Prayer House, a retreat centre of the Archeparchy of Kottayam in Kothanalloor, include four men and five women. 

They were brought to the centre on Saturday and over 17 individuals have been kept under observation in the centre. The remaining 14 who arrived from Bahrain were allowed to go to home quarantine which included 4 pregnant women and 5 children. 

The Vandhe Bharat mission is the massive repatriation operation planned by the Indian government to bring back stranded Indians in different parts of the world in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

In the first phase that started on May 7, where flights have started to operate from about 12 countries to bring back 15,000 citizens. Evacuation has begun with Indian citizens stranded in Bahrain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), the UK, Malaysia, the US, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Singapore, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Oman being repatriated in 64 scheduled flights. 

The second phase of the Vandhe Bharat mission in the third week of May is expected to cover European nations.

SOURCE: ALIBILAD