Passengers and airport staff at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here have been taking precautionary measures of wearing masks to protect themselves from COVID-19. Many people travelling to foreign countries said they feel safer in abroad than in India.
While most of the people said that “precautions are necessary”, Suniksha Deb, who was travelling with her four-year-old son, termed her destination, London, a “safer location”, adding that she did not hesitate to travel without mask.
However, 69-years old Raghvir Singh Virk, who was returning to Canada along with his wife after having cut short his three-month stay here, said he could be at risk given his age. With nose and mouth covered with an N-95 mask, he said that his children asked them to return immediately after number of COVID-19 cases in India saw a rise.
At the ‘Arrivals’, Anuvinda Sharma, pre-occupied with rubbing sanitiser on her palms, shared that she had come to India to attend her best friend’s wedding. “It is going to be a huge gathering and I am scared now. I asked her if she could postpone the wedding,” she said, adding that she might pair up a mask with her attire she chose to wear at the wedding.
Most of the security staff, taxi counter operators and janitors were seen wearing masks, adhering to the suggested guidelines by the government to prevent the spread of COVID-19. “We cannot stop working due to the COVID-19 scare,” they explained.
A flight attendant working with the Indigo airline said that she prefered wearing masks in the flights these days to be safe. She said passengers washed hands more frequently these days and added that the fear among the fliers at times had been leading to a ruckus if one of the passengers was sick. They question the airline staff as to why a person with cold and cough had been allowed in the flight.
A family of four with masks were, meanwhile, spotted stepping back and avoiding conversations with non-masked people maintaining the “required distance”.
Employed in Estonia, Ankit Tripathi, had returned to enjoy Holi at home this year. “This is one time of the year that I meet my friends and family. The celebrations are going to be restricted though,” Mr. Tripathi who had “bought a portable sanitizer two years back” said. He had started using it only after a 12-hour-long flight takes off and showed that the bottle was empty.
An Australia-based technician, Herman, explained the importance to report back to work as his sanctioned leaves were lapsing. “It [COVID-19] was not this widespread when I had come here. I don’t have a choice. I believe prevention is actually better than cure and have been using masks and sanitisers.”
Parents travelling with their children admitted that it was being tough for them to ensure their children was not touching surfaces.
