Paid institutional quarantine only option for those coming from abroad
New Delhi, May 7 (IANS) The Delhi government on Thursday issued a revised order regarding those coming from abroad, making paid institutional quarantine as the only option for all these travellers.
The order came a day after the Delhi Health Department issued an SOP for the handling of passengers coming from abroad at the Delhi airport.
While the Wednesday order said all the passengers will be screened and those without any risk factors will be sent for home quarantine for 14 days after providing them their passports. It also said that those from other states can be looked after by the Resident Commissioners and nodal officers of their respective states, including boarding and lodging in Delhi and transportation to their respective states.
However, the new guidelines issued on Thursday said all the people should be kept in paid institutional quarantine centres.
“All the passengers will be quarantined at the paid institutional quarantine centres irrespective of their states,” an official explained. As the process of bringing back those stranded abroad begins, the Delhi government has arranged at least 1,200 rooms in different hotels to quarantine the travellers.
Speaking to IANS, the nodal in-charge of the operation on Thursday said the rooms will be a paid facility and of these at least 850 rooms are in luxury hotels – Svelte, Le Meridien, Red Fox and Ibis.
“1,200 rooms have been arranged in hotels, including those in Aerocity and other parts of the city. These will be paid quarantine facilities,” the official said.
The Centre, the official added, is yet to reveal the total count of the passengers staying in Delhi, “but we are making sufficient arrangements”.
From Thursday, India commenced the air rescue operations for Indians stuck abroad due to the lockdown. Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express will start the first phase of the mission and will operate 64 flights in seven days to bring back 14,800 stranded Indians from 12 countries. These will be coming to different cities in India, including Delhi.
The Delhi government on Wednesday issued the SOP for handling the passengers landing at the Delhi airport in view of planned phased return of Indian nationals stranded abroad by the Ministry of External Affairs.
It says the detailed list of passengers with their passport details, arrival date and time should be shared with the Nodal Officer of Delhi government by the nodal officer appointed by MEA at least one day in advance, so that it can be coordinated with respective Resident Commissioners and Nodal Officer appointed by the states.
The SOP said the DGHS will provide PPE kits and all other consumables. The DGHS was also asked to provide medical teams, PPE kits etc., at the paid quarantine facility.
–IANS
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