COVID-19: High-Risk Travellers Escaped Quarantine in Maharashtra

Rajesh Tope also stated that random testing for the disease was not possible because of paucity of testing kits.

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope admitted that a few people who visited high-risk countries escaped quarantine for coronavirus. Image used for representational purposes only.

(Photo: AP)

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Thursday, 19 March admitted that a few people who visited a country considered to be high-risk escaped quarantine for coronavirus as they returned via another country.

He also stated that random testing for the disease was not possible because of paucity of testing kits.

The Centre has put seven countries which have seen large-scale outbreak of the virus in "negative" list, and passengers from these places are placed in compulsory quarantine whether they have any symptoms or not, he told a news channel.

"But recently, a person who visited Germany, which falls in the negative list, proceeded to the Netherlands and boarded a flight for Mumbai from there....he managed to leave the airport on return."

Rajesh Tope, Maharashtra Health Minister

"He should have been quarantined, but he managed to reach Pune. Later he developed symptoms and tested positive for COVID-19 disease," Tope said. "This is putting other people's lives in danger," he added.

"I have now asked immigration officials to check last fifteen days' travel history of passengers landing in the state."

Rajesh Tope, Maharashtra Health Minister

Asked about desirability of random testing for the virus, he said, "Supply of testing kits is an issue. We are not getting kits in large numbers, so random testing cannot be undertaken."

Maharashtra has reported at least 47 coronavirus patients so far.