Pandemic conditions creating stress and heartbreak for Port Stephens’ Indian community

Jaz at his service station.

 

TANILBA Bay service station owner Jaz Saluja is deeply concerned about his family in India with the Covid-19 pandemic out of control.

Here, so far, the disease has claimed some 238,000 lives and infected at least 21 million people.

“My family is based around Indore which is in central India and the pandemic has already affected two family members,” Jaz said.

“Both my cousin and aunt have been infected but thankfully they have recovered,” he added.

“We are very worried about my elderly parents who have visited us previously but in 2019 their visa application was put on hold.

“I can’t see any chance of it being granted with the situation as it is,” he said.

“The only way we could get back together is if my parents suffered a medical emergency.

“I would be granted a travel visa but once there, I would be in permanent lockdown.

“There is no way that I could return to Australia,” he remarked.

“We contact them daily via video conferencing but it just isn’t the same.

“It has created a lot of stress and anguish for us,” he concluded.

 

By Geoff WALKER

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