INDIAN Armed Forces Quarantine centres shelter 1095 evacuees
Since the outbreak of Novel Coronavirus in Wuhan, China Air Force, Army and Navy Ministry of Defence have proactively worked to evacuate Indian people from the Covid-19 affected countries China, Iran, Italy and Japan and quarantined them at their facilities to release after mandatory isolation. From 1st February, 2020 till date the Air Force has evacuated 1059 people (including 05 foreigners) and quarantined them at their facilities/bases in Manesar in Haryana, Hindan (Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh), Ghatkopar, Mumbai and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. Details as follows:
| Sl No. | Location | Number | Date of Commencement | Date of Release | Remarks |
| 1. | Manesar | 248 | 01 Feb 2020 | 18 Feb 2020 | Evacuees from Wuhan, ChinaQuarantine over, all released |
| 2. | Manesar | 124 (inc 05 foreigners) | 27 Feb 2020 | 12 Mar 2020 | Evacuees from Japan Cruise ShipQuarantine over. All released |
| 3. | Hindan | 18 | 27 Feb 2020 | 12 Mar 2020 | Medical team and Air Crew who flew to WuhanQuarantine over. All released. |
| 4. | Hindan | 58 | 10 Mar 2020 | 23 Mar 2020 | Evacuees from Iran01 pt (viral pneumonia, 67yr/F) refd to Safdarjung Hosp. Tested negative |
| 5. | Manesar | 83 | 11 Mar 2020 | 24 Mar 2020 | Evacuees from ItalyOne person refd to Safdarjung Hosp. Tested positive |
| 6. | Ghatkopar | 44 | 13 Mar 2020 | 26 Mar 2020 | Evacuees from Iran06 pts symptomatic refd to Kasturba Hosp. Mumbai, all tested negative and brought back to quarantine camp |
| 7. | Jaisalmer | 236 | 15 Mar 2020 | 28 Mar 2020 | Evacuees from Iran03 pts at isolation wd in 15 AFH |
| 8. | Jaisalmer | 53 | 16 Mar 2020 | 29 Mar 2020 | Evacuees from Iran |
| 9. | Jaisalmer | 195 | 18 Mar 2020 | 31 Mar 2020 | Evacuees from Iran |
Besides the Indian Navy has set up a quarantine camp at INS Vishwakarma at Vishakhapatnam which is fully equipped to accommodate nearly 200 personnel. Navy has also set up isolation facilities at its premier hospital INHS Asvini at Mumbai. The Naval base, Kochi under Southern Naval Command (SNC), is gearing up to provide quarantine facilities for Indian nationals. The SNC is also actively coordinating with the Kerala state health officials and Ernakulam district administration to explore the feasibility of provisioning civil hotels/resorts for quarantining. Besides all Army Hospitals have been kept on alert to meet any eventuality. In an event of releasing the Draft Defence Procurement Procedure 2020 here today, Raksha Mantri Shri Raj Nath Singh said the current Covid-19 situation will not have much impact their long gestation project. Meanwhile, India’s largest military quarantine facility at Jaisalmer currently housing almost 500 people can be expanded if necessary.A dozen additional facilities and military hospitals are being kept on standby to deal with the evolving Covid-19 situation.
The armed forces have also readied five rapid-reaction medical teams to support Saarc countries. Two battalions of troops have been moved and makeshift arrangements made for the desert facilities in Rajasthan and the one at Manesar near Delhi. “We have standby facilities at Jaisalmer (part of the existing one), Jodhpur of the army, Vishakhapatnam of the navy and Gorakhpur of the air force. If there is a requirement, more facilities can be created,” said Brigadier Anupam Sharma of the Headquarter Integrated Defence Staff, who is the nodal officer for the defence ministry’s efforts to tackle coronavirus cases. The Jaisalmer facility is the military’s biggest, he said.
