NO RETURN

New Jersey Man Went to India to Help Sick Dad—and Is Stuck in COVID Hell

“I never anticipated it would completely close.”

A New Jersey man who rushed to India when his father was hospitalized with COVID is stranded there because he cannot get approval to return to the U.S. With 3,000 people dying a day, India is completely overwhelmed by the current COVID surge, and the U.S. has restricted travel from the country. Ashu Mahajan told WABC that he went there in mid-April when his father fell ill; by the time he arrived his dad was on a ventilator and never regained consciousness before dying. For the last two weeks, Mahajan, an architect, has been trying to arrange a return, which requires an in-person consulate visit in India under the type of visa he holds. “Frankly speaking, I knew I would have a tough time, but I didn't have any options,” he told the TV station. “But I never anticipated it would completely close.” The embassy website he’s been checking says the earliest he can get an appointment is February 2022.