Sign in

‘No quarantine for those who leave state and return within 96 hours’: Assam govt

The order signed by principal secretary (health) Samir Kumar Sinha stated that certain conditions will have to be fulfilled for the guidelines to be effective. They include mandatory rapid antigen test (RAT) on return.

Updated on: Sep 11, 2020, 17:01:35 IST
Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By
Share
Share via
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
Copy link
  • copy link

As per a new directive by the Assam government, those travelling outside the state but returning within 96 hours won’t have to undergo quarantine for 10 days as required earlier.

Guwahati: A Covid-19 patient being taken to a hospital in Guwahati. (PTI)
Guwahati: A Covid-19 patient being taken to a hospital in Guwahati. (PTI)

“A person who travels to any location outside Assam and returns to the state within 96 hours of departure will not be required to undergo quarantine of 10 days,” the order issued by the state health and family welfare department stated on Thursday.

The order signed by principal secretary (health) Samir Kumar Sinha stated that certain conditions will have to be fulfilled for the guidelines to be effective. They include mandatory rapid antigen test (RAT) on return. If the test result comes positive, the person shall undergo home isolation or treatment at Covid Care Centre or hospital as per the protocol.

Also read: PIL says patients dying as Assam hospitals refuse admission; HC defers hearing

If the test result is negative, swab samples will be taken for RT-PCR test and the person will have to stay in isolation (by giving an undertaking that they would follow all safety norms) till the result of the test is available.

“The person will strictly comply with hygiene and social distancing norms during the stay outside Assam,” the order read.

In a separate order, the department also decided to provide Rs 5,000 to families of such Covid-19 patients who died from the virus and their last rites could not be performed by their family. The order would apply to such families who do not receive the body or are unable to bear the cremation expenses.

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.