4 Indian Students Going To Surat De-boarded From Train After Home Quarantine Stamps Get Noticed

With 170 confirmed cases and 3 deaths, India has prohibited travel from the EU, Turkey and the United Kingdom with effect from March 18. This measure has been undertaken to prevent COVID-19 infections from Europe which is now the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. However, some people are yet to grasp the gravity of the situation.

According to News18, four students returning from Germany were screened at Mumbai Airport as per protocol. They tested negative but were asked to go into a 14-day home quarantine as a precautionary measure. But they decided to travel home to Surat via Garib Rath Express which goes from Bandra to New Delhi.

ALERT- Garibrath operating between #Bandra terminus and #NewDelhi was stopped at #Palghar railway station after four passengers who were home quarantined were seen travelling in the train. @shailesh505 @SachinKalbag @WesternRly @htTweets pic.twitter.com/bj5GffvTa2

— Aroosa Ahmed (@iAroosaAhmed) March 18, 2020

Fellow passengers informed the authorities after seeing their home quarantine stamps in indelible ink. For the uninitiated, to ensure that isolation procedures are followed, the government is stamping the left hands of people with the last day of quarantine in voter ink. Subsequently, the train was halted at Palghar station and they were deboarded from coaches G4 and G5, reports Business Today.

Coach of Garib Rath being disinfected at Surat station after four persons who had been asked to home quarantine were asked to deboard at Palghar. @the_hindu @THMumbai #coronavirus #covidindia pic.twitter.com/Ma1JaopaRM

— @bombaycynic (@ajeetmahale) March 18, 2020

The Hindu quoted GVL Satyakumar (Divisional Railway Manager, Mumbai Division, Western Railway) saying,

“The four belonged to one family and had come from Germany. They were on their way to Surat when our TTEs displayed presence of mind and saw their stamps. They were deboarded at Palghar and handed over to the district authorities.”

They were tested again at a local hospital but showed no signs or symptoms. Since they refused to isolate themselves at the facility in Palghar, they were asked to hire private transport to Surat so that others were not put at risk, reports The Times of India.

We hope that other fliers from abroad don’t defy protocol as the incubation period is around 2 weeks and in certain cases, the disease is asymptomatic.

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