Institutional quarantine must for returnees, says Thakur

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 10

The state government today decided to put those entering the state under institutional quarantine and test all those coming from red zones.

The decision was taken by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in view of the sudden spike in coronavirus cases in the state. He directed nodal officers of each district through video-conferencing.

As many as 52,763 people stranded in different states want to come back, while 30,219 people of other states stranded in Himachal have left. Almost the same number of people wants to move out to their home states.

The Chief Minister said the persons coming from the red zone would be tested for the Covid infection, while coming from other states would first stay in institutional quarantine for 14 days and, thereafter, they would be home-quarantined.

There are 12,729 people under surveillance in home and institutional quarantine. But the district administration across the state is finding it difficult to keep a track of those in home quarantine.

Everyday FIRs are being lodged as the persons put on home quarantine are not following the guidelines, said DC, Shimla, Amit Kashyap. “We are dealing with the new comers strictly and as per guidelines”, he added.

The infection curve flattened till last week, but the sudden spike from 40 cases to 58 has come as a shocker for the state. The new cases were mainly among those who came back here.