CM Amarinder Singh mandates 14-day home quarantine for those coming to Punjab

As per directions from CM Captain Amarinder Singh, the Punjab government has mandated that people coming from other States via rail, road and air would have to undergo compulsory home quarantine for 14 days. The government has said the decision has been taken to rule out any complacency in COVID-19 containment efforts "despite Punjab posting the highest recovery rate of 90% in the country".

"Screening of those entering Punjab 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 the others would have to undergo mandatory 2-week home quarantine," the CM said on Saturday. 

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Cautious approach

Rapid testing teams would check on the home quarantined persons while those found symptomatic would have to undergo thorough testing in hospitals/isolation centres, the CM said. Punjab would not rely on any certificates of testing from any part of the country or the world. He cited Punjab’s experience with those who came from Maharashtra and Rajasthan, as well as the more recent case of Dubai, from where Punjabis coming back had tested positive despite carrying medical certificates showing them to be negative.

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Infection prevention

Amarinder Singh raised the likelihood of imported infections from outside Punjab and said the government has made elaborate arrangements for their testing and quarantine. "Five flights have come today, and a total of 20,000 people are expected to come from other countries on 88 flights, while 60,000 are expected from other states. I will not let this infection spread any further in Punjab,” the CM asserted.

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3.25 lakh migrants have returned to native States

On the issue of arrangements for transportation of migrants wanting to leave Punjab, the CM said his government had been facilitating the return of migrants through special trains, along with 607 buses sent to Bihar, Jharkhand, UP and Orissa. “Around 3.25 lakh of the 13 lakh migrants have returned so far through trains organised by us while another 17,000 have gone through buses,” he added.

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