Coronavirus - 1,000 Stranded Foreigners To Be Evacuated From Goa Over The Weekend

Two thousand foreigners from the UK, Russia, Europe and Qatar who were in Goa for holiday but were left stranded after India went into a lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic were flown out in special flights by different countries since last week.

Another 1,000 would be leaving in the next two days as special flights from Germany, Russia and other European countries are expected to arrive in Goa on Saturday and Sunday. In all, five flights are going to take these 1,000 people back home.

"Relief flights are operating and in next two days. Russians, Canadians and Austrians would be evacuated," a senior central government official told NDTV.

According to him, the Ministry of External Affairs is liaising with foreign missions who want to evacuate their citizens.

According to the government, about 2,000 foreigners are still in Goa out of which around 1,000 would leave in next two to three days and the remaining are likely to stay back. "Most of them are Russians and they anyways have long-term visas so they are staying back," a senior official in the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) said.

According to him, 10 special flights operated from Goa between March 25 and April 2. "In these flights, 2,023 adults and 14 infants went to parts of world including Frankfurt, Paris, Moscow, Tel Aviv and Manhattan," he added.

For US citizens stranded in northern and eastern India due to the nationwide lockdown, multiple flights from New Delhi to San Francisco will also be arranged, the American embassy said on Friday. The flights will begin operating from Saturday, the embassy said.

The embassy has asked US citizens to share their location and other details by filling out the form at https://tinyurl.com/uscit-indiaso and also register for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at https:tep.state.gov/ to receive critical information concerning flight opportunities.

"Based on prioritization, we will reach out to you directly via email to offer a seat on a flight. Please respond within the time frame specified in the email. We will not be able to accommodate requests for specific flight preferences," the statement said.

Meanwhile, amid the lockdown, many restaurants in Goa are working as community kitchens and are helping foreigners with meals.

"We have ensured that such kitchens keep on running," Inspector General of police (Goa) Jaspal Singh told NDTV adding that local officials are facilitating such kitchens.