9,000 tourists in 43 flights left Goa during COVID lockdown, 1,000 still in state

PANAJI: Amid the coronavirus lockdown, Goa, the state which receives on of the highest number of international tourists in India, managed to organize as many as 43 special flights which transported nearly 9,000 foreigners from the state to various international destinations.

The latest flight, of the Russian airliner Rossiya, carrying 318 adults and eight children, left from the Goa International Airport on Tuesday, said Gagan Malik, Airport Director, Goa International Airport (GIA). He added that all precautionary measures and protocols for COVID-19 were followed meticulously by the airport staff.

According to Bosco George, Superintendent of Police (FRRO), nearly 1,000 international tourists, mostly from Britain and Russia, are still residing in the state. Some of them are stranded due to the lockdown while some are vacationing. There are many Russians whose visas have expired and they are waiting to complete the formalities to go back to their country, said Vikram Varma, legal counsel of the Russian Consulate in Mumbai. “They were supposed to travel back in March, but there were no flights and their visa period has expired. They have already applied for the renewal of visa so that they can go back, he added.