Coronavirus: 218 evacuated from Italy sent to ITBP quarantine

A total of 218 Indians, mostly students, brought here from Italy on Sunday have been taken to an ITBP quarantine facility in south-west Delhi's Chhawla area, officials said.

Air India flight from Milan landed around 9.45 am at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA). Out of total Indian nationals in this group, 211 are students.

"All 218 evacuees from Milan are being taken to our quarantine facility in south west Delhi's Chhawla area. y will be re for over a fortnight as per quarantine procedures," an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) spokesperson said.

facility has earlier catered to two such batches of Indians and foreigners, evacuated from Wuhan in China, totalling 518 people.

ITBP centre, like in past, will have a dedicated team of doctors, paramedics and or staff apart from providing food, medical testing and indoor entertainment facility to inmates, spokesperson said.

coronavirus outbreak, declared a pandemic by World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday, has led to more than 5,000 deaths globally.

government has suspended all visas, barring a few categories like diplomatic and employment, in an attempt to prevent spread of coronavirus as cases across India rose to more than 90.

(Im courtesy: PTI)