On March 23, a 63-year-old man landed at Srinagar airport with his wife and two nephews. They had just flown in from Delhi. After the famil...
On March 23, a 63-year-old man landed at Srinagar airport with his wife and two nephews. They had just flown in from Delhi. After the family revealed their travel history to the authorities, they went through the mandatory thermal screening for the coronavirus, left the airport and headed home.
“Even though my parents had no symptoms, I was apprehensive,” said the 63-year-old man’s son. “I had read a lot on the internet about the signs and symptoms of Covid-19 and I knew that the virus has the potential to spread through domestic travellers.”
To be safe, he dialled the Covid-19 helpline number put out by the local administration to ask for advice. “It took me half an hour to reach them because the call just didn’t connect,” he said. “When I explained the situation to them, they asked me whether my parents were showing symptoms or had been screened at the airport. I revealed all the details, expecting some guidelines to follow.”
Instead, the official on the line told him: “Ann cokrah wokrah ti beh ghari. Yi bemeair chani kiheen. Yi che asi paanaiy baneavmich. Go buy a chicken and enjoy yourself at home. This disease is nothing. We have just created it in...
