14-day isolation must for people out of quarantine

NEWDELHI: People who complete their mandatory 14-day quarantine periods at government facilities will be allowed to return home only through routes approved by the district administration and within a specified time frame, a fresh set of guidelines issued by the Delhi government stated.

According to senior health officials, the standard operating procedure (SoP) for patients who have recovered and those who have finished their quarantine period is almost the same, and mandates that they stay in self-isolation for 14 more days.

The standard operating procedure (SoP), issued on Friday by the state executive committee — headed by chief secretary Vijay Dev — also talks about the transit arrangements of foreign nationals who arrived in the city after February 15 and were put under mandatory quarantine.

Till Saturday, Delhi had recorded 445 Covid-19 positive cases, with six deaths. Fifteen people have recovered and one is out of the country.

“In case of stranded foreign nationals, the concerned foreign government, in consultation with the ministry of civil aviation, Government of India, will arrange for chartered flights. Screening for Covid-19 symptoms as per protocol will be done prior to departure and local transportation will be provided by the embassy concerned. Transit passes will be issued by district magistrate for transit routes,” read the SoP, which was drafted on L-G Anil Baijal’s directive.

The total number of people quarantined as of Saturday was 3,531, of which 374 had completed the quarantine period. Out of 374, 219 have tested negative for Covid-19. Of the 219, at least 102 have been discharged from institutional quarantine.

“We declare a Covid-19 patient as recovered if two consecutive test results, within a minimum span of 24 hours, comes negative. The person is then discharged from the hospital. But, the story doesn’t end there,” said Dr Nutan Mundeja, Delhi’s director general of health services.

The latest SoP also stated that no person of any group will be released where even one person tests positive for Covid-19.

“Transport arrangement has to be made by the person themselves and transit for fixed route with specified validity for such person will be issued by district magistrate of concerned district. Such person will further remain under home quarantine for a period of 14 days as per standard protocol on the matter; the details of such person will be shared with state/UT government for necessary follow up,” read the document.

As on Saturday, a total of 101 transit passes had been issued, a senior official said.