According to a source, the government is likely to spend an estimated Rs 40 crore to bring back Indians quarantined on the cruiseliner. "The flight ticket costs around Rs 30,000 per person, which works out to a total of Rs 40-50 lakh to bring back 138 people to India. So, why is the government spending Rs 40 crore when it can be done for a few lakhs of rupees," the source wondered.

Dinesh Thakkar, the father of Sonali, a security officer on the ship who has been in isolation since February 10, said, "It has been almost 23 days since my daughter has been near infected people on the cruiseliner.

This clearly shows the government was least interested in bringing back Indians until the conclusion of US President Donald Trump's visit. This chartered flight should have been arranged much earlier."

Thakkar further said after all the Indians have returned, they will again have to undergo tests in India, for which they will be quarantined again.

All Indian cruiseliner passengers and crew will have to undergo compulsory medical check-ups by an Indian medical team before they can disembark from the cruise ship and undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine after landing in India, he said.

Meanhwile, two more Indian crew members have tested positive for COVID-19, raising the total to 14, according to the Indian embassy, but all were responding positively to the treatment. There is at least one female crew member who has tested positive from Maharashtra.

PCR test results announced, from the samples collected earlier, include two Indian crew members on board Diamond Princess, testing positive for COVID-19. The total number of crew members tested positive so far is 14 - responding well to treatment, said an embassy tweet.