Breaking COVID-19 Protocol, 300 Air Passengers Flee from Silchar Airport

GUWAHATI: When the Centre along with the state government has laid down stringent guidelines for air passengers travelling to Assam, in a shocking report which came from Silchar, around 300 air passengers who landed at Assam's Silchar airport on April 21 skipped the mandatory Covid-19 testing and fled from the testing centre.

According to reports, of the 690 passengers that arrived only 189 passengers did their COVID-19 tests of which 6 were found to be positive.

"On Wednesday, 690 people landed at Silchar," said Sumit Sattawan, ADC, Health, Cachar district, "Some were exempted since they were transit passengers travelling to other northeast states. A total of 189 took the test — out of which six tested positive." Read more

ADC Sattawan said the passengers are taken to the centre from the airport by buses provided by the administration.

"They can also move in their own vehicle by giving an undertaking and vehicle/driver details," he said.

"From our system at the airport more or less 300 people have moved out without testing. But the good thing is in the Silchar airport every person is traceable as they board and deboard after showing their identification cards. So, I exactly know who these people are, where they live and their phone numbers and email ids," an official added. Read more

Meanwhile, the Cachar district administration has launched an investigation into the matter.

The police are currently tracing the passengers who fled, following which legal action will be taken. "Cases will be registered under relevant sections," an official added.

Cachar district reported 48 new cases, while Assam's over the government tally went up by 1,665 cases on Wednesday, with a positivity rate of 2.68 per cent. On the other hand, Assam as of April 21 has recorded 1,665 fresh new cases of the novel coronavirus, resulting in the deaths of 5 people in the last 24 hours. The total tally of COVID-19 cases in the state now amounts to 2,29,138 while the total tally of CoVID-induced fatalities amounts to 1,150. Read more

Also Read: Assam Records 1,665 New COVID-19 Cases, 5 Cases of Fatalities

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