COIMBATORE: When in Rome, do as the Romans do, goes the old adage.
A 30-year-old Coimbatorean in Rome, however, yearns to get away from the lockdown faced by residents of the city and return home. But there is a hitch.
Srinithin Jayabal, a software developer from Peelamedu in Coimbatore, has been stuck in Rome for the last 10 days amidst the coronavirus scare that has sent ripples across the globe. The lack of a COVID-19 negative certificate has left him stranded, he said.
The businessman reached Rome on February 26 and had a return ticket to India on March 14.
He advanced his return to March 10 taking stock of the present situation in Rome where shops, restaurants and public transport went into lockdown after Italy confirmed a number of coronavirus cases.
"Despite clearing the immigration at the airport, the Emirates staff panicked on seeing us without coronavirus negative certificates. They did not allow nearly 15 passengers including me to board the flight. Even hospitals and health facilities refused to provide the certificates given that we do not have symptoms of the virus," he said.
"I have repeatedly tried to reach out to the Indian Embassy officials, but in vain. Even my tweets to the Ministry of External Affairs yielded no response," Srinithin lamented.
The software developer claimed there are nearly 45 Indians stuck in Rome who could not return home as they did not have a coronavirus negative certificate.
He also tagged Health Minister C Vijayabaskar in his tweet urging him to help the stranded Indians in Rome.
Stranded passengers in Egypt to return home
As many as 17 Tamilians, who were quarantined on a cruise ship in Luxor, Egypt, over the coronavirus scare will be back home by Thursday.
One of the passengers, Vanitha Rengaraj, said, "We left Luxor on Wednesday morning and reached Cairo. From there we will take a flight to Mumbai and reach our respective hometowns by Thursday."
However, she said the Chennai man who tested negative for the virus in Egypt is still in the country until the end of the isolation period.