By Sampada Anuranjanee Khatiwada
Kathmandu, Mar. 3 All the Nepalis airlifted from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of COVID-19, successfully completed their quarantine period on Monday.
They were kept in Kharipati-based quarantine for 16 days under constant health surveillance.
A farewell programme was organised today at Kharipati quarantine to send them with their families.
"We are very much happy to be reunited with our families today," said the quarantined Nepalis during the farewell programme. "We would like to extend special thanks to the Nepali Army (NA) and the government."
'Long live Nepal government’, they chanted during their farewell.
Saurav Luitel of Jhapa, a quarantine member, said that 14 days passed in the quarantine ith a blink of an eye.
Luitel said that indoor and outdoor games available in the quarantine had kept them active throughout their stay.
“The university used to send us study-courses, assignment and tasks through E-mail and videos,” Luitel said. “We continued our studies through the Internet while staying at the quarantine.” Pramila Poudel, 26, one of the returnees said, “We are very much excited to go back to our respective homes and see our families.”
Poudel, a student of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in Wuhan, said that everyone's stay in quarantine was memorable. "All of the returnees were skeptical about living in a same place for 16 days."
“At first, we thought that it would be a battle uphill for us to kill time here in quarantine,” she said. “But the government’s preparations kept us in awe.”
Poudel said that the government had provided various recreational facilities to ensure that the returnees wouldn’t feel bored.
“We passed time by playing volleyball, badminton, carom-board and by watching TV and movies,” she said. “We were also provided with the internet facility.”
Poudel said that the relationship between all the 175 quarantine members was not less than a family.
“We survived the life-taking virus together so we share a very emotional relation,” she said. “Two days ago, all of us were at the terrace, singing and dancing together. It was an emotional moment for us all.”
Fourteen days didn’t feel much long as we spent most of our times together by playing cards, studying and carrying out other recreational activities.
Poudel said that they were thankful to the government for not only successfully rescuing them during the global emergency, but also for providing them with a well-facilitated quarantine.
She said, “The 14 days stay at quarantine is definitely going in our memory books.”
When the virus broke out, we had lost all of our hopes of surviving the virus and reuniting with our families, she added.
All the quarantined Nepalis said that that the government had successfully performed its duty of protecting its citizens during the global emergency.
As per a press release issued by the Ministry of Health affairs on Monday, all 175 Wuhan returnees had tested negative for COVID-19.
Their medical report today revealed that the evacuated Nepalis weren’t affected from the epidemic, the press release read.
Cabin crew, pilots and health professionals numbering 18 who had been to Wuhan to rescue the Nepali nationals were sent to their families on Sunday.
State Minister for Health and Population Nabaraj Raut, bid farewell to all 175 Nepalis from the quarantine located at Kharipati, Bhaktapur.
The quarantined Nepalis were seen happy to be reunited with their families. The family members of the quarantined Nepalis were welcoming the latter with tears of happiness in their eyes.
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