As domestic flights are set to become operational from Monday, 25 May, the Odisha government on Sunday ordered compulsory 14-day quarantine for all the returnees using different modes of transport, including flights, trains and buses, ANI reported.
“Returnees in rural areas will undergo seven days of mandatory institutional quarantine, post which the asymptomatic returnees shall be discharged to undergo home quarantine for a further period of seven days,” the order stated.
The decision comes after other states, including Punjab, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir decided that the passengers coming into the states via different modes of transport will have to stay under quarantine for a two-week period.
While mentioning that the passengers will have to undergo home quarantine for 14 days, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh in a Facebook Live on Saturday said, “Screening of those entering the state would be done at all state and district border entry points, as well as railway stations and airports, and those found symptomatic would be sent into institutional quarantine, while others would have to undergo mandatory two-week home quarantine.”
He further said that rapid testing teams will keep a check on the people who are under home quarantine and the ones who are symptomatic will have to undergo testing in hospitals.
‘Cannot Rule Out Possibility of COVID-19 Spread’: Baghel on Resumption of Flights
Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday, in a letter to Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, said that the chances of the spread of coronavirus cannot be ruled out as the domestic flights operation are set to resume.
"Details of each flight with elaborate information about passengers should be shared with states. Even 14-day quarantine for passengers only at state-operated or paid quarantine facilities should be made mandatory," the chief minister said, PTI reported.
Kerala has reported 795 cases of coronavirus, out of which 515 have been cured or discharged and four have died, as per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
According to The Indian Express, while addressing the media, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, “Quarantining would be mandatory for all those who reach Kerala via domestic flights. Whatever be the mode of travel to Kerala, all those who come from outside have to go into quarantine. However, it would not be binding on those who come to the state for 1-2 days for business purposes and then go back. But, this category of passengers will also have to observe necessary preventive guidelines.”
Regarding, the passengers arriving at Srinagar, Kashmir divisional commander PK Pole told The Indian Express, “All those passengers arriving at Srinagar airport will be put under administrative quarantine and tested.”
The Airports Authority of India on Thursday issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for airports and passengers for recommencement of domestic flights, a day after Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that domestic flight operations will recommence in a calibrated manner from 25 May.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI, The Indian Express)
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