2.3 MN PEOPLE QUARANTINED AT FACILITIES: CENTRE

NEWDELHI: Nearly 2.3 million people, who have moved within the country or arrived from international destinations during the ongoing nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are currently in quarantine facilities arranged by states and union territories.

While majority of the state governments and union territory administrations have made at least seven days’ quarantine compulsory for anyone arriving in their jurisdiction, a few of them have opted for home quarantine for those reaching their administrative limits.

According to an official estimate, as on May 26, a total of 22.81 lakh people were in quarantine facilities arranged by different states and union territories -almost double from 12 days ago (May 14) when the people put under quarantine were 11.95 lakh, a government official told PTI. Maharashtra has the highest number of people in quarantine facilities -- 6.02 lakh -- followed by Gujarat, which has kept a total of 4.42 lakh people in quarantine centres.

Till Wednesday, 91 lakh(9.1 million) migrant labourers were transported by trains and buses.

Under the Vande Bharat Mission,

around 30,000 Indian nationals have been brought back by the government from about 40 countries so far. The government has plans to bring back 1 lakh Indians from 60 countries across the globe.

Those in quarantine facilities are people who have reached different states by trains, buses or by the special international flights. The number of people in quarantine in government-arranged facilities is dynamic as several lakh people, who have completed their seven or 14 days’ quarantine have left for their respective homes before May 14 and after that in batches, the official said.