Did 250 Indians test positive for coronavirus in Iran? Can't say, responds MEA

The external affairs ministry officials on Tuesday said they cannot confirm whether more than 250 Indians in Iran have tested positive for novel coronavirus but acknowledged that they were aware of such a list of people being circulated.

At the daily inter-ministerial press briefing on coronavirus on Tuesday evening, MEA Additional Secretary Dammu Ravi was asked several times about Indians in Iran testing positive.

"Of course in a situation like that, you will find some positive cases among the Indian pilgrims given the extensive spread of virus in Iran.

"Rest assured that every care is being taken by mission in cooperating and coordinating with the government of Iran for safety of Indians there. The ambassador is giving a lot of attention to them,"
Ravi told reporters.

"Cannot confirm that over 250 Indians in Iran have tested positive for coronavirus and whether the list that is being circulated is authentic or not ," he said in response to a question about media reports
claiming that more than 250 Indians in Iran have tested positive for the virus.

He, however, said that it was not possible that all the tests of the Indian pilgrims would have come out negative as they were located in Qom.