At Vadodara quarantine facility, patients bid emotional goodbyes to ThePrint journalists

Photographer Praveen Jain and reporter Simrin Sirur left the Vadodara quarantine facility Wednesday after testing negative for Covid-19.

People who recovered from Covid-19 stand for a group photograph, albeit with social distancing, in the lawn of the quarantine centre at Vadodara | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Vadodara: People from all walks of life and age are housed together at the Vadodara High Speed Rail Training Institute, which has been turned into a quarantine facility for asymptomatic Covid-19 patients.

This diversity also gave rise to some unlikely friendships for ThePrint’s National Photo Editor Praveen Jain and reporter Simrin Sirur, who had been staying there since 29 April after they tested positive for the disease.

On Wednesday, ThePrint crew tested negative, 15 days since their first test. However, the health ministry’s latest guidelines, issued earlier this week, meant that some patients had to leave the facility much before the usual quarantine period.

Many at the facility discussed the new quarantine rules and shared their anxieties about unintentionally spreading the illness, a night before they were scheduled to leave.

For ThePrint team, this quarantine has been unforgettable, including learning the important lesson that one can overcome Covid-19.

Jain captured some of his and Sirur’s last moments at the facility before they bid goodbye to their new friends.

The Vadodara High Speed Rail Training Institute that has been turned into a quarantine centre for asymptomatic Covid-19 patients | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Sheetal Kumar Iyer (right) and his mother Premlata wave goodbye | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Parul Patel also bid adieu to ThePrint team | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

For many of the people in quarantine, time was spent meeting strangers from different walks of life | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Those left still at the quarantine facility look on, waiting for their turn to leave | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Anil Kumar, who was working with ThePrint team, Praveen Jain and Simrin Sirur take one final selfie at the quarantine centre before leaving | ThePrint