"Twenty two of these 76 have been found having COVID-19," he said. (File photo)
Twenty-two of 76 Haryana natives deported back from the US have tested positive for coronavirus infection, state Health Minister Anil Vij said on Saturday.
Seventy-six Haryana people were part of a group of over 160 Indians who had arrived at Amritsar in Punjab by a special chartered flight earlier this week.
"Twenty two of these 76 have been found having COVID-19," Mr Vij told reporters.
After they were deported from the US and arrived in India earlier this week, Mr Vij had said all will undergo COVID-19 tests before they are quarantined in their home districts.
Most of the deported Indians had entered the US from its southern border with Mexico and had exhausted all legal options to stay in the US.
They were arrested by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement sleuths while trying to enter America illegally.
The 76 Haryana natives were later brought to Panchkula where they underwent the COVID-19 and other medical tests.
While those found COVID negative will be quarantined in their home districts, the 22 COVID-19 patients will undergo treatment at a dedicated hospital in Panchkula.