April 23, 2021: Thirty COVID-19 patients escaped from a COVID care centre at Arundhutinagar, about 7 km from Agartala, late Wednesday, West Tripura District Magistrate Shailesh Kumar Yadav said on Thursday.

The patients had reportedly arrived from different states to appear for job interviews. Of these, 14 are from Bihar, 7 from Uttar Pradesh, 6 from Rajasthan and one each from Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.

“We have found many COVID-19 positive cases among job aspirants coming from outside the state. Accordingly, we postponed the recruitment process. We discharged 24 persons on Tuesday and shifted over 40 to the covid care centre located at Arundhatinagar. Thirty of them fled last night. We have lodged a complaint with the police,” the DM said.

The official added that they have traced the location of the escapees outside Tripura through their cell phones. Police stations and railway stations have been put on alert as well.

Police suspects they jumped off the backside wall of the centre as the front gate had security.

Fifty-six persons are admitted in the COVID care centre now.

With the rising number of COVID cases, Tripura has mandated all the incoming passengers to show negative Covid-19 report from April 24.

Tripura has also imposed night curfew from April 22 till month-end, from 10 PM to 5 AM, due to rise in COVID-19 cases.