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Migrants returning to Uttar Pradesh must follow these Covid-19 guidelines
Migrant workers will be screened by administration of respective districts where they are going and those showing Covid-19 symptoms, but are not infected, will have to quarantine at home for 14 days.
As India is witnessing a massive surge of Covid-19 cases, many migrants, fearing a complete lockdown like last year, are returning to their home states. The Uttar Pradesh’s additional chief health secretary on Thursday issued directives for the migrant workers coming to the state, news agency ANI reported.
According to the notice cited by the agency, workers will be screened by administration of respective districts where they are going and those showing Covid-19 symptoms, but are not infected, will have to quarantine at home for 14 days while the asymptomatic ones need to remain in home quarantine for seven days.
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Here’s a look at the protocols that need be followed to prevent coronavirus from spreading
*The state government has asked district administrators to prepare a list of all migrant workers which will have their addresses and mobile numbers. The district authorities have been asked to take the every worker's signature against the details.
*Those migrant workers coming from other states who cannot quarantine at home will be kept in institutional quarantine.
*If there is no provision for quarantining in rural areas, primary school or other available school building will be used for the purpose.
*People in quarantine must ensure that they remain indoors and must compulsorily wear a face mask to cover the nose and mouth, the government order said. They must wash their hands with soap and water at regular intervals.
*Only one family member of the person in quarantine will be allowed to step out to buy things for the house, according to the government order.
*Those above 60 years of age, those with heart problems, and pregnant women are advised to maintain distance from the person in quarantine.
*If the family violates the rules, then the district administration will be informed by the neighbours or a monitoring committee, which will have residents of the village as members. However, if the family faces social stigma, they must also inform the monitoring committee for necessary action.
Other state governments have also taken steps to assist migrant families who are fearing losing their livelihood due to the second wave of Covid-19. The Jharkhand government has set up a control room to cater to migrants’ requirements and according to officials, there has been a drastic increase in the number of phone calls received by them, ANI reported. "They are fear-stricken and not able to make decisions. Some migrants have reported they have returned. Most calls are being received from Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Delhi," head of control room, Shikha Pankaj told the agency.
Soon after the Maharashtra government announced that Section 144 will be imposed in the state, several migrant workers were found to be heading home. "Now that curfew has been imposed, what would we do here? What would we eat? We are leaving the city because we do not want to go through the pain we endured during the lockdown," Shivam Pandey, who hails from Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi, told ANI.
