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Close contacts of Covid patients can opt for home quarantine; six more cases emerge in Ghaziabad
In what may come as a breather for close contacts of Covid-19 patients, the UP government has issued a notification allowing them to remain in home quarantine if
In what may come as a breather for close contacts of Covid-19 patients, the UP government has issued a notification allowing them to remain in home quarantine if they fulfil certain conditions. The health department officials said those having large houses and more than one toilet may be allowed to remain in home quarantine, provided they follow the laid down norms and give an undertaking.
“The notification is for close contacts of Covid-19 positive cases. The government has issued notification and it will be applicable to all persons admitted previously or to be admitted in the future. We have about 276 persons presently in facility quarantine but they can be allowed to remain in home quarantine, provided they give us an undertaking,” Dr NK Gupta, chief medical officer (CMO), Ghaziabad, said.
“Such persons will have to mandatorily install the Aarogya Setu app. The close contacts are immediate family members or people who were in direct contact with positive patients,” he said.
According to the new norms, a person at the government-run quarantine facility can choose to remain in home quarantine for 14 days, provided they have large houses with more than one toilet.
“The notification says that such persons will stay in a separate room with an attached toilet. The person will remain in isolation in their rooms and must not come in contact with any family member, especially a senior citizens or child or pregnant woman. So far, we were not allowing such facility to close contacts of Covid-19 patients,” the CMO said.
According to Amit Mohan Prasad, UP’s principal secretary (health), the district officials will have to check the house and availability of separate toilets.
“In another move, we have also notified fines which can be levied on people spitting in public places or moving in public places without masks. The first and second violation will attract a penalty of ₹100 while a subsequent violation may attract a fine of ₹500,” Prasad said.
The officials said lockdown violations in the first instance will attract a penalty of ₹100-500; and ₹500-1,000 in the second instance and ₹1,000 for all subsequent violations.
“Only one person is allowed on two-wheeler. If two persons are found, it will attract a penalty of ₹250 in the first instance, ₹500 in the second instance and ₹1,000 in the third instance. However, any person who doesn’t know driving and need to go to office, may take permission from a magistrate to have him/her driven there,” Prasad added.
In Ghaziabad, six more Covid-19 cases emerged on Saturday taking the tally to 178.
“One case is from Kaushambi and two from Sahibabad besides three from Khoda. We are taking up special drives in Khoda to contain the spread of infection. So far we have about 30 cases from Khoda,” Gupta said.
Khoda’s executive officer KK Bhadana said most of the cases are from 10 of 73 residential pockets in Khoda and the infection has not spread beyond these pockets.
Khoda was sealed on May 10 and entry/exit at 50 out of 52 points was stopped by officials.
“We are taking up extensive sanitization in all areas and also in the 10 residential pockets where cases were reported. Apart from that, we have also sealed and barricaded 46 bigger and smaller internal lanes in Khoda. People are staying indoors and we have made arrangement to get essential items to all,” he said.
The health department officials said that nine epicentre areas were desealed on Saturday after no case was reported from these areas over the last 14 to 28 days.
The areas are located in parts of Sanjay Nagar, Vaishali sector 5 and 3, Pratap Vihar, Modinagar, Shalimar Garden Extension 1, Sikri Nagar and Vasundhara Sector 3.
