Four passengers, travelling from Mumbai to Surat were deboarded from a Delhi-bound train at Palghar after they were found with a “home quarantine” stamp on their hands. The four had arrived from Germany and had been recommended to be under home quarantine.
The incident occurred on board the Garib Rath train from Bandra to New Delhi, when co-passengers raised an alarm and the Train Ticket Examiners (TTE) noticed their stamps.
“The four belonged to one family and had come from Germany. They were on their way to Surat when our TTEs displayed presence of mind and saw their stamps. They were deboarded at Palghar and handed over to the district authorities,” Divisional Railway Manager, Mumbai Division, WR, GVL Satyakumar, said. He added that the coach G4, in which the four passengers were travelling, was disinfected at Surat.
Railway officials said the four had been tested at SevenHills Hospital and did not show any symptoms of being infected with novel coronavirus. Kailash Shinde, District Collector of Palghar, said they were again checked by district health officers at Palghar. “They showed no signs or symptoms. We asked them to be in quarantine at our facility but they wanted to go home. We told them they could not use public transport, can only take a private vehicle and travel non-stop,” he said. Of the four, three were going to Surat and one to Bhavnagar. They have shared their credentials with the respective district collectors.
Mr. Shinde said there were no clear directives on how people under home quarantine should travel to their homes. “I will be writing to the government for some clarity on this, as many who land in Mumbai have homes elsewhere,” he said.
