CENTRE TURNS DOWN UT ADMN’S REQUEST TO QUARANTINE FOREIGN RETURNEES AT HOME

CHANDIGARH : The central government has declined UT’s request to allow people returning from abroad to quarantine themselves at home instead of hotels.

The UT administration was of the view that home quarantining foreign returnees was possible in Chandigarh since residents here were mostly well educated and houses were large enough to allow self-isolation protocols.

Several residents had also approached the administration to allow home quarantining of their kin.

But, UT adviser Manoj Parida said, the Centre was not ready to accept UT’s request, which had also come in from various states.

“Quarantining in hotels is the only option now as per the existing policy. We will make changes in case Centre amends its policy in the future,” he said.

PRIORITY LODGING IN MOUNTVIEW DONE AWAY WITH, HC TOLD

The UT administration on Monday informed the Punjab and Haryana high court that the decision to lodge the returnees on priority basis in Hotel Mountview had been done away with.

It said the administration had shortlisted four private hotels, apart from the two government hotels - Mountview and Shivalikview, who were willing to accommodate air passengers for 14 days of quarantine.

Returnees who cannot afford expensive hotel accommodation can also opt for Panchayat Bhawan or Panjab University hostels.

UT made these submissions in response to a PIL filed by the Sector 10 RWA, who apprehended the spread of Covid-19 in the sector in case the respondents were permitted to lodge the returnees in Hotel Mountview only.