Over 300 Flee Silchar Airport to Avoid Covid Testing

FILE PHOTO: Passengers wearing personal protective equipment enter the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, after the government allowed domestic flight services to resume, during an extended nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease, in Mumbai on May 25, 2020

Over 300 passengers, who landed at the Silchar airport on Wednesday, created disorder and fled the facility to escape mandatory Covid-19 testing, officials said on Thursday, and asserted criminal action will be initiated against them. Cachar district Additional Deputy Commissioner Sumit Sattawan said a total of 690 passengers arrived at the airport from various parts of the country aboard six aircraft.

He said they were supposed to undergo swab tests at the airport and the nearby Tikol Model Hospital. “Around 300 people created chaos at both places, mainly over payment of Rs 500 for the tests,” he said.

The Assam government has made it mandatory for all air passengers arriving in the state to undergo free Rapid Antigen Test followed by an RT-PCR test for Rs 500 even if the report of the RAT comes negative.

Asserting that the passengers had violated the rules, the officer said, “We have their database and we will track them. We will initiate criminal action under Section 188 of the IPC (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and other relevant provisions.”

Of the 690 passengers, 189 were tested and six were found infected with the virus. Many were exempted from testing as they were transit passengers on way to neighbouring states like Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, Sattawan said.

The Assam government had on Wednesday night announced that all people coming from outside will have to undergo seven days of compulsory home quarantine, as the state’s Covid-19 tally shot up to 2,29,138 with 1,150 fatalities.