MUMBAI: Thirty-six people from Maharashtra, who were airlifted from the novel coronavirus-hit Wuhan city of China and quarantined for 14 days at facilities in the National Capital Region, returned to the state on Wednesday, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said.
These 36 people were among the 645 Indians who were airlifted from Wuhan about a fortnight back due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in China.
Wuhan is the capital of central Chinas Hubei province, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak.
They were kept under observation at two special facilities - an ITBP camp in Delhi and an Army camp at Manesar near Gurugram - for two weeks.
Tope said the 36 travellers from Maharashtra were allowed to return home as they had completed 14-day-long follow-up period.
"Their swab samples also tested negative for the novel coronavirus infection," said Tope.
However, authorities will still keep a tab on the health on these people for 14 more days, he said.
"The authorities concerned have been instructed to keep follow-up of these 36 people (for 14 days)," he said.
Medical teams deputed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport have screened 41,208 passengers for coronavirus since January 18, the state health department said.
According to the department, another 266 travellers have come to Maharashtra from coronavirus-affected areas and dedicated teams are keeping a constant watch on them.
Tope said 114 of these 266 travellers have completed their mandatory 14-day health follow-up period.
The department said 71 people were admitted to isolation facilities in the state since January 18.
Of these, 70 tested negative for the viral infection.
Sixty-nine of the 71 people were discharged from isolation wards and the remaining two are admitted at Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai," said an officer.
No positive case of the virus, which has killed more than 2,000 people in China since December-end, has been reported from Maharashtra so far.