The district administration on Saturday sent back home 262 persons, including their contacts, who had returned to Amritsar after a pilgrimage to Takht Hazur Sahib at Nanded in Maharashtra. All of them had tested negative for covid-19, but had been quarantined for 21 days at the government’s four centres.
Overall, 609 pilgrims had returned to the district starting April 24. There are 362 others, who continue to be in quarantine; reports of five are awaited.
“Since most Nanded returnees have been tested and positive patients are in hospital, we have decided to send back those in quarantine centres to their homes. The health department has put up stickers outside their houses and directed them to stay isolated for at least a week,” said ADC Himanshu Aggarwal. He added, “We have installed COVA app on their mobile phones. By Sunday, every covid-19 negative Nanded pilgrim will be sent home.”