14-day institutional quarantine mandatory for Afghan returnees

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 24

The government has announced that all the returnees from Afghanistan to undergo a mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine has designated the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)-run Chhawla centre to go to place for such people.

In an order the Ministry of health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) said, “As the Covid-19 immunisation status of these individuals is unknown, and the exact extent of transmission (including circulation of variants) in Afghanistan is unclear at present…, it has been decided that the arriving persons shall undergo a mandatory minimum 14 days institutional quarantine at Sector Headquarters logistic and communication, ITBP, Chhawla camp, Najafgarh road, New Delhi.”

Meanwhile, a senior ITBP official said the camp is being readied for about 85 people, who have arrived from Afghanistan, as the force is being asked to do the needful. “As of now the arrival of such persons has not yet started. We are expecting they will start coming to the centre either late tonight or early morning tomorrow,” he said.

The official, however, confirmed that 140 of the ITBP personnel, who were evacuated from Afghanistan as part of the first batch, have been put up at the Chhawla Centre, where they are undergoing mandatory 14-day quarantine.

The MoHFW in its order said, “The government of India is undertaking emergency evacuation of people from Afghanistan to India. Considering the nature of this crisis, this ministry allowed exemption from mandatory pre-boarding RT-PCR testing (presently mandated for international travel) of these people.”

It has also asked the ITBP to make requisite arrangements for arranging transportation of passengers from arrival airport to Chhawla Camp. “Any person testing positive or detected as symptomatic shall be shifted to identified Covid-19 dedicated care centre or hospital of NCT of Delhi,” it added.

The Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Civil Aviation have been assigned the task of intimating ITBP adequately in advance about the exact date and timing of these incoming flights along with the passenger manifest. The said information may also be provided to the government of NCT of Delhi, it added.

“All nodal agencies involved in the exercise including MEA, MoCA, Ministry of Home Affairs, ITBP and government of NCT of Delhi, NCDC shall designate and communicate name, designation and contact number of their nodal persons to each other and to the MoHFW,” it said.