As Italy reels under COVID-19, parents in India are anxious about their children now stuck in Rome airport, unable to return without the mandatory blood tests. As many as 60 students from Karnataka, including the daughter of Forest Minister B.S. Anand Singh, studying in different colleges across Italy are now inside the airport unable to leave.
During a discussion on COVID-19 in the Legislative Council, Mr. Singh himself brought up the issue of students from Karnataka stuck at Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome. “We are all anxious. My daughter is among the 60 students from here stuck inside the airport since March 11. There is hardly any information coming in. The State government should get in touch with the Union government to help them to return home soon,” he said.
He said, many students, including his daughter, were deboarded from the flight just before take off.
“Unless blood samples collected from them by Indian doctors are tested in India and certified to be healthy, they cannot fly. Now, we are being informed that all flights out of Rome might be cancelled. By the time blood reports come in, there is a possibility of cancellation of flights from Rome,” he said.
According to Mr. Singh’s aide, his daughter Vaishnavi Singh, studying interior design in Florence in Central Italy, had reached Rome to return home. She along with others, however, were stopped from flying on March 11 unless their blood samples were tested in India. “Initially, the Indian community in Rome helped them with food. Now, the embassy is helping them. They are now sleeping on the benches or available space in the airport,” the aide said.
Janata Dal (Secular) member K.T. Srikante Gowda also urged the State to identify people from Karnataka stuck in various countries.
‘211 students are back’
Meanwhile, acknowledging the problem, Health Minister B. Sriramulu said that the State government has already enabled the return of 211 students from Italy.
“All are Kannadigas. These students used WhatsApp messages and calls to get in touch with me. We enabled them to take different airlines to return home. All of them are here now.” He further said that he was in touch with Union Health Minister Harshvardhan on this issue.
