Ideal Place For Isolation? 6 Foreign Tourists In India Hide In A Cave To Avoid Coronavirus

On April 19, AFP reported six foreign tourists in India trying to avoid the COVID-19 pandemic by hiding in a cave in the state of Uttarakhand have been sent to the isolation ward.

Police inspector Rajendra Singh Kathait said these six tourists include four men and two women having nationalities of France, the USA, Turkey, Nepal, and Ukraine. They started living in the cave on March 24.

They are now taken to a quarantine area for 14-day follow-up, though no one of them showed symptoms of COVID-19 infection.

According to Mr. Kathait, before the lockdown, they stayed in a hotel in Muni Ki Reti region but have moved to the cave near Rishikesh in Uttarakhand after their money ran out. However, they still had saved some to buy food and some supplies.

He said the Nepali man helped the group buy supplies. India started the nationwide lockdown on March 25 and people can only get out when needed such as buying medicine or food.

The initial lockdown order was expected to end on April 15 but was extended to May 3. Some fields such as agriculture and manufacturing will be reopened on April 20.

Approximately 700 foreign tourists are still stranded in the city of Rishikesh in Uttarakhand state and the government has set up the "Stranded in India" website to help foreigners who are stuck here during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, governments such as the US, Britain, and Germany have arranged flights to bring their nationals back home from India.

Until now, the second-most populous country in the world has reported over 17,600 coronavirus cases with 559 lives taken from the fatal disease until this moment.

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