New Delhi: A total of 215 evacuees from Italy who were brought back on on March 15, have tested negative for the novel coronavirus.

The group comprises 151 males and 64 females and most of them are students studying in Italy.

The evacuees did not show any COVID-19 symptoms for seven days. The expected quarantine period is of 14 days.

"The second and final sampling will be done on the 14th day of the quarantine period and if that also results as negative, then all these 215 persons will be released from the Centre," said the official of the facility.

A total of 518 people, including 43 foreigners, evacuated from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the epidemic, were also kept at the ITBP Chhawla in two quarantine sessions from February 1 to March 14 in different batches and were later released after being tested negative.