Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Apr 17: At least 40 passengers from Arunachal were reportedly on two Air Asia flights in which a person from Assam, who tested positive with Covid-19, also flew.
The discovery was made on Monday, 27 days after the fact.
Reportedly, the person from Assam was asymptomatic when he tested positive.
As per the airline’s manifest, the person from Assam had flown from Guwahati to Delhi on 18 March on Air Asia flight 15-798, and returned to Guwahati on 21 March on Air Asia flight 15-788.
Sources informed that at least 40 passengers from Arunachal, according to their surnames, had booked their tickets or travelled on the same flights.
It is said that the Assam government had alerted the other Northeast states after seeing the Covid-19 positive person’s travel history.
Sources informed that, after receiving the SMS alert from the Assam government, Papum Pare District Surveillance Officer, Dr Rina Ronya, informed the state health task force, which in turn sent out an alert message, informing about the development. However, it is learnt that none of the passengers has called the control room’s number as yet.
Meanwhile, it is also reported that several individuals had cancelled their flight tickets, and have informed the task force about it.
On being contacted, DGP RP Upadhyaya confirmed the report and said, “Contact details of all passengers have been obtained. Details have been shared with the district administration and health control also.”
It is said that four persons from East Kameng district have been found to have travelled on one of the two flights in question. Two of them are currently residing in Doimukh and Naharlagun.
East Kameng DC Gaurav Singh Rajawat informed that the other two are currently under home quarantine in Seppa, and are asymptomatic.
Meanwhile, Papum Pare DC Pige Ligu informed that another two persons from East Kameng have been put under quarantine at the quarantine facility in Naharlagun.
Two persons in East Siang district are under home quarantine and their swab samples have been sent for testing, informed DC Kinny Singh.
In West Siang, one passenger has been quarantined, and all protocols are being followed, informed the DC.
Reportedly, many of the deputy commissioners were unaware of the alarming message from the Assam government.
“I am yet to get any official correspondence about such information from the higher authority,” said the Lower Subansiri DC.
