S. African booked for flying out after testing Omicron positive

S. African booked for flying out after testing Omicron positive

His negative COVID-19 report under a cloud; India in touch with Dubai authorities

07/12/2021

Intensifed scan: A health worker collecting swab samples for COVID-19 test in Bengaluru on Monday. K. MURALI KUMAR MURALI KUMAR K

Bengaluru Bureau Bengaluru

The Bengaluru city police have registered a case against a South African national, who tested positive for the Omicron variant but left the country three days later based on a negative COVID-19 test report that has now come under suspicion.

The police have also booked the hotel management where he was under quarantine and let him go without informing the civic authorities.

Though Revenue Minister R. Ashok had said an investigation will be carried out against the laboratory that gave the patient a negative report, the FIR doesn’t list the laboratory as an accused. “We had mentioned the laboratory in our complaint. I will ask our officials to look into the issue,” said Gaurav Gupta, Chief Civic Commissioner of Bengaluru.

Sources said Indian authorities were in touch with their counterparts in Dubai, to where the patient had left. They are also in touch with the South African authorities, sources said.

The police booked the South African national, Mahendra Chibabhai, 66, and the management of a hotel charging them under Karnataka Epidemic Disease Act and under Section 269 (negligent act to spread infection), Section 271 (disobedience of Quarantine Rule) and Section 114 (abetment to offence).

The complaint said the man had landed in the city on November 20 and tested positive for COVID-19 at the airport. He was sent to the hotel and kept in a separate room for 14 days quarantine.

Despite specific instructions to the staff to alert the BBMP officials at the time of his check-out, the management allowed him to leave on November 27 without informing the BBMP, the civic body has alleged.

Upon inquiry, the management justified their action stating he had submitted a COVID-negative certificate from the lab at the time of check-out.