COVID-19: 22 Tourists Quarantined aboard Cruise Ship in Assam's Jorhat let go after 7 Days

Jorhat, March 14, 2020:

The 22 tourists who were isolated within the MV Mahabahu in Jorhat district of Assam in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, have finally been released, Inside Northeast sources have confirmed.

After seven days, they will depart for their respective homes. It has been reported that they will leave from the Roroiya Airport in Jorhat. Our sources have confirmed that out of the 22 tourists who were isolated aboard the cruise ship, 15 were from Great Britain, 2 were from the United States, 2 were from Australia, 2 were from France, and one of the tourists is from Germany.

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It is worth mentioning here that the 22 international tourists were isolated aboard the Mahabahu since March 7, when it came to light that an American, who was detected with COVID-19 in Bhutan, had spent a week cruising along the Brahmaputra on the same ship.

Meanwhile, the tourists have expressed satisfaction at the way they were treated by the authorities. "Could have imagined worse places to be quarantined; they treated us extremely well", an elderly man told media after he was released.

An official release from the Bhutan PMO's office list the circumstances that led to the detection of the virus in the 76-year-old US tourist whose name is yet to be disclosed. The result was validated at 12:30 am, Bhutan time. The patient was a 76-year-old, Hewitt, from the United States of America, who had come to Bhutan as a tourist. He had entered the country from Paro International Airport, after embarking Drukair flight KB241 from Guwahati in the Northeast Indian State Assam, on March 2.

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According to the Government of Bhutan, the patient was touring India from February 21 to March 1. He had started his travel from Washington DC on February 18 and was travelling with his partner, aged 59. There were 10 passengers on board, of which eight others were Indian nationals. At the Paro International Airport, the patient’s health declaration form was assessed. He had indicated “negative” against all conditions, but later tested 'positive' for the dreaded virus.

Later, it came to light that the man had spent a day at the Radisson Blu in Guwahati and had earlier, gone on a cruise on the Mahabahu. Immediately after this came to light, the local authorities swung into action and sealed off the ship.  22 tourists and 30 employees of the cruise ship were screened for the feared COVID-19 after a team of medical personnel boarded the ship to trace for signs of the virus. All aboard were tested 'negative', it was later reported. The ship that was anchored at Nimatighat harbour, has now become a part of Assam’s biggest cornavirus horror story.

Apart from the Mahabahu, Hewitt's presence in Assam also raised the alarm in the Hotel Radisson Blu, where all the staff members were screened for the virus, and the entire second floor of the 5-star hotel was sealed off, until the Government's "clean chit." Now, as a precautionary measure, the Assam Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, won't be attending any public meetings, it has been decided.

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