India to conduct biggest evacuation of nationals stuck abroad amid coronavirus lockdown

The stranded Indian nationals will be brought back by travel via flights or ships.

Over 14,800 Indians stuck in 13 countries will be brought back by 64 flights in the first week.

More than 3 lakh Indians have requested the central government to facilitate their return to home.

Indians taking the flights from the United States would be charged Rs. 1 lakh per person while those from the UK will have to pay Rs. 50,000.

Naval warships will bring back Indians stuck in West Asia and the Maldives.

This is the biggest ever evacuation effort since the national airline Air India brought back 1,70,000 during the first Gulf War.

On May 7, which is the first day of the evacuation, 10 flights will bring back 2,300 Indians stranded due to airspace closures by various countries to stem the spread of the contagion.

Over the next few days, the government will operate 10 flights to the UAE, seven each to the US and UK, five flights to Saudi Arabia, five flights to Singapore and two flights to Qatar.

The flights would carry 200-300 passengers at maximum to maintain the norms of social distancing.

However, only asymptomatic people will be allowed onboard and therefore every passenger has to declare whether they have fever, cough, diabetes or any respiratory disease.

Passengers will be screened before they are onboard. On arrival to India, they have to remain in quarantine for 14 days.

Indians with valid visas will be allowed to fly out on the same special flights given they are permitted into their destination country.

Priority will be given to pregnant women, the elderly, people with medical emergencies and ones with serious illness.

India presently has 46,476 COVID-19 positive cases including 1571 deaths.