19 Indian passengers tested positive for COVID-19 in a recent flight from New Delhi to Wuhan under the Vande Bharat Mission (VBM), reported news agency PTI. Besides the 19 Indians who tested positive for COVID, antibodies were found in tests of 39 others, PTI quoted officials as saying.

The passengers who tested positive were shifted to hospitals, Indian officials said. They, however, were not able to provide information about 39 others whose tests reported antibodies and whether they were also referred to hospitals.

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The October 30 flight, the sixth operated by India to China in recent months and the first to Wuhan where the virus emerged in December last year, brought 277 Indians from New Delhi and evacuated 157 on its return under India’s mega mission to evacuate stranded Indians from abroad.

However, India on Monday said that they have plans to operate four more such flights to China, beginnings November 13.

As part of this process, Air India is planning to operate four flights to Delhi on November 13, 20, 27, and December 4, the Indian Embassy announced.

“Passage on this flight would be made available on payment basis as per fares to be decided by Air India. The journey would be subject to an undertaking to be provided by individual passengers to abide by all protocols framed by the Government of India,” a statement by the Embassy said.

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All the Indian passengers needed to undergo two coronavirus tests before being permitted to board the flights.

As per the protocols circulated by Chinese officials, all those who tested positive will be referred to hospitals and will be released only after they test negative.

Protocols also stipulate a 14-day mandatory quarantine in the designated hotels for all those arriving in China.

The flight to Wuhan also carried the largest number of Indian passengers from Delhi compared to the previous VBM flights.

There is a big rush for VBM flights from India to China as Beijing has recently lifted the temporary ban on holders of resident permit visas. About 1,500 to 2,000 Indians who are either working in China or connected to businesses want to return.

Earlier, India operated three flights to Wuhan to airlift Indians stranded in the city when the virus was at its peak in the Chinese city in February this year.