Bihar government notifies stringent regulation to tackle coronavirus

The Bihar government on Tuesday notified a stringent regulation to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, the provisions of which include empowerment of authorized officials to "forcefully admit and isolate" a patient suspected of carrying the infection but reluctant to undergo medical supervision.

In a five-page notification, the state health department said, "The Bihar Epidemic Diseases, COVID-19 Regulation, 2020" which has been framed invoking the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, shall come into force with immediate effect and remain valid for a period of one year.

Although Bihar is yet to come across any instance of a patient testing positive for the virus, the notification said "the government was satisfied that the state is threatened with an outbreak of COVID-19" and of the opinion that ordinary provisions of the law in force are insufficient for the purpose.

The state government had last week ordered closure of all schools, colleges, coaching institutes, cinema halls, parks and zoos till March 31 as a preventive measure and introduced a new roster system in government offices to reduce crowding.

Other institutions have followed the lead with the Patna High Court deciding to hear only bail pleas or cases of urgent nature till March 31 while the bicameral legislature curtailed its budget session which ended Monday, a fortnight ahead of schedule.

The new regulation also stipulates that it shall be "lawful for a surveillance personnel to enter" a premises, "after giving reasonable opportunity to the owner or the occupier", where a person is suspected to be infected with COVID-19 and his or her continued presence was "hazardous to public safety".

The surveillance personnel may direct or arrange to put such a person in home quarantine or at an Institutional Quarantine Facility or Isolation Facility.

All government and private hospitals have been directed to set up "Flu corners" for screening of suspected cases. Several other states of the country have already notified the regulation to combat the novel coronavirus outbreak.