Over 250 Indians in Iran ‘test positive’ for Coronavirus; MEA says ‘can’t confirm’ reports

Over 250 Indians have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus in Iran, according to a list prepared by doctors who went from India.

However, the Ministry of External Affairs has said they could not confirm these reports.

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According to a report in NDTV, those who tested positive for Coronavirus were part of a delegation of over 800 people from Ladakh, many of whom have been stranded in hotels and other accommodation in Qom – one of the worst affected areas in Iran.

India had sent a team of doctors to Iran to conduct medical tests on the people stranded there.

Reacting to the reports, MEA Additional Secretary Dammu Ravi said: “The Indians who are in Iran are being very well looked after by our mission. The ambassador is giving a lot of attention to them. Every care is being taken by the Mission, in coordination and cooperation by the government of Iran.”

“Cannot confirm that over 250 Indians in Iran have tested positive for coronavirus,” he said.

On Monday, a fourth batch of 53 Indians were evacuated from Iran’s Tehran and Shiraz regions, taking the total number of people brought back from the country to 389.

Earlier, on Sunday over 230 Indians were brought back from Iran and quarantined at the Indian Army Wellness Centre in Jaisalmer.

The first batch of 58 Indian pilgrims was brought back from Iran last Tuesday and the second group of 44 Indian pilgrims arrived from there on Friday.

Iran has so far reported 16,169 cases of COVID-19 with the death toll reaching 988.

Amid pandemic fears, another batch of Indians are being reportedly brought from the Coronavirus-hit country tomorrow.

According to a report in IANS, the Centre has asked Tehran to grant a sanatorium for the Indian pilgrims who tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Iran.

There are over 6,000 Indian nationals in various provinces of Iran. Of them, there are about 1,100 pilgrims mainly from the Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir and the state of Maharashtra and nearly 300 students primarily from Jammu and Kashmir.

Around 1,000 fishermen from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat and others stay in Iran earning their livelihood and for religious studies.

Meanwhile, in India the number of Coronavirus virus cases has jumped to 147. The cases include 22 foreign nationals and three persons who died in Delhi, Karnataka and Maharashtra.