By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, April 25, 2020: A group of 38 persons from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh sailed through the sea for five days from Chennai to return to their native villages amid lockdown restrictions.

However, the district administration, which had prior information about the sea voyage, put them in a quarantine centre on Saturday evening after they reached Patisunapur coast in Ganjam district in Odisha.

The fishermen, including 29 from Odisha and nine from Andhra Pradesh, had taken a boat for about Rs 2 lakh to reach their destination, said sources.

They took the sea route on April 20 and reached on Saturday evening.

The officials said that 29 fishermen from Odisha are residents of Rangeilunda and Chikiti blocks.

Ganjam District Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange said their swab samples will be collected for testing of COVID-19.

“We will take them to a quarantine centre, where they will stay for 14 days. As a precautionary measure, the swab samples of the fishermen will be collected and tested for COVID-19,” said Kulange.