Like Life in Prison: Tamil Nadu Couple Quarantined on Coronavirus-struck Cruise Ship in Egypt Long for Home

Chennai: Among the 17 Indian passengers quarantined on a cruise ship on the river Nile near Egypt's Luxor city since Friday, a Tamil Nadu tourist and his wife have tested negative for coronavirus.

On March 6, at least 39 passengers on the ship were tested positive and taken to a hospital in Cairo for treatment. The tourist, Rengaraj, lamented that he and his wife were held in isolation despite testing negative.

"We tested negative but are still stranded inside a room on the cruise ship. It's similar to life in jail," he said. He explained that passengers were asked to not step out of their rooms and food was delivered to them. The kitchen on the ship has been shut, he added.

"We were kept like this for two days and have another 12 days to spend in the same way," he said, adding, " It's very depressing."

Rengaraj said they were not allowed to meet other passengers and the condition in which they were being kept was causing panic. "The room is spacious, but it feels like we are living in a comfortable jail," he said.

The stranded tourist further informed that most of his fellow passengers were senior citizens, who were "depressed" to be stuck in the ship for the two-week quarantine period.

The couple hoped that the Indian government would rescue them soon. Rengaraj said that his daughters were trying to meet Embassy officials and request them to send their parents back to Tamil Nadu. He also requested that the state government bring those tested negative abroad back to the state.

“My wife keeps crying thinking about how we have to stay like this for two weeks," he said.

Citing an example, he pointed out that others who had tested negative were comfortably recovering now.

He said that he was in touch with a fellow passenger who had earlier tested positive, but was subsequently declared healthy. The passenger was recuperating and had to only take vitamins, he said.

"If they (officials) want to monitor our situation and quarantine us, they can do it in our hometown. At least then we won’t panic,” Rengaraj added.