Monday, July 19, 2021

Minister Shobha Karandlaje steps in, infant flies home without virus test

Mangaluru: Timely intervention from Shobha Karandlaje, Union minister of state for agriculture and farmers’ welfare, helped a Mangalurean woman travel from Kuwait to Mangaluru without subjecting her six-month-old child to a Covid-19 test on Saturday.

Adithi Sudesh Nayak Karopady, a resident of Kuntikana in Mangaluru, said Air India staff at Kuwait’s airport had insisted that her baby son take the test if she wanted him to fly. Adithi then got in touch with Mohandas Kamath, an NRI, who reached out to Karandlaje.

The Karnataka MP in turn contacted Union minister of civil aviation Jyotiraditya M Scindia. The ministry intervened and Adithi and the child were then allowed to travel.

Adithi, whose husband works in Kuwait, was returning to Mangaluru for a short visit. She was scheduled to leave Kuwait on the Air India flight at 5pm (7.30pm IST) on Saturday. She said she completed the web check-in well in time.

“I reached the airport at 3.30pm, but was not allowed to board,” Adithi said. “I had a negative report, but Air India staff said I had to get a test done for the child too or cancel the flight. They were prepared to delay the flight for 15 minutes for me. My travel agency and the hospital too had told me Covid-19 tests are not required for children below two years.”

19/07/21 Times of India

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