Isolation feels like imprisonment, say quarantined sportsmen

Ecstatic after winning a

tournament in Sharjah, little did Raigad-based sportspersons know that their return home from Dubai would be marred by coronavirus scare.

All 11 sportspersons from Raigad are quarantined at Gram Vikas Bhavan at Kharghar in Navi Mumbai for suspected exposure to coronavirus, despite testing negative in the initial swab test.

The team members claim that they have been kept in isolation even though they haven't shown any symptoms of the infection and their initial test results came out negative.

At least 38 people, including players and organisers from across the city, travelled by two flights from Dubai on Sunday morning, one of the team members said.

 

Players from Mumbai were screened at the airport and taken to civic-run Kasturba Hospital, while the remaining were transported in a bus sent by the Panvel civic body, he said.

"Our life is hell here and feels like we are in a prison. We request the government to send our samples to Kasturba Hospital and if we test negative then, please allow us to go home. We will take care of ourselves as per the government's guidelines," he said.

Reacting to media reports that some of them had fled the quarantine centre, one of the isolated players said while some team members chose to go in the designated bus, few others took a cab to Panvel rural hospital for the check-up.

"As it took some time for us reach the hospital, people assumed that we had fled and even television news channels reported it," he said.

How can one think of fleeing without considering their own health and safety, he said.

"Some of our colleagues tested negative at Kasturba and were allowed to go to home. The authorities should also get our swab samples tested at Kasturba as soon as possible," he said.

Police personnel have been deployed outside the facility and team members' families have been making rounds to get some clarity on when they will be released, he said.

Although authorities are making arrangements as per the government's directives, there are not enough hand sanitizers at the facility, he said.

The authorities have told us that they will provide television sets and WiFi, he added.

"We are cooperating with the government and staff here. We are well looked after, but we can't wait for so long even after testing negative for the virus," he said.