According to several media reports, more than 20 passengers on an Air India flight from New Delhi to Wuhan, China, tested positive for COVID-19 when they landed.
According to CNN, 23 passengers tested positive for the virus on the Oct. 30 flight; 19 of them were asymptomatic. The four symptomatic passengers were sent to a local hospital and were quarantined.
The Times of India reported that AI officials released a statement saying all the passengers had negative lab results from certified labs when they boarded the plane en route to Wuhan.
The Oct. 30 flight marked the sixth time AI had flown to China, and the first time to Wuhan, during the pandemic, Huffington Post reported.
On Monday, India's Embassy in Beijing issued a statement saying that the Indian government would assist stranded nationals abroad. However, they did not link its effort to the Oct. 30 travelers to Wuhan.
"[The] Government of India is facilitating stranded Indian nationals abroad to return to India under Vande Bharat Mission on compelling grounds in a phased manner," government officials said. "As part of this process, Air India is planning to operate four flights to Delhi on Nov. 13, Nov. 20, Nov. 27, and Dec. 4, respectively."
