Home quarantine cases rise 73% in past 10 days

With the growing number of cases of Covid-19 in the state, the number of people who are kept in quarantine has also increased rapidly. Since May 10, home quarantine

With the growing number of cases of Covid-19 in the state, the number of people who are kept in quarantine has also increased rapidly. Since May 10, home quarantine has increased by 73% while institutional quarantine has surged by 85%, as per data from the state health department.

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On May 10, 2,33,327 people were home quarantined in Maharashtra. This number increased to 4,04,692 on May 19. In the same period, 14,465 people were kept in isolation at institutional quarantine centres and this number rose to 26,752 on Tuesday.

According to medical experts, the rise in number of those quarantined at home is because of the change in discharge policy. Under the new rules, asymptomatic patients should be sent home from the second-tier Covid care centres (CCC2), which are government-run centres where doctors and nurses are on duty round the clock.

City-based epidemiologist Dr Om Srivastava said, “Now, asymptomatic patients are advised to stay at home if it is feasible. Thus, the number of home quarantines has increased. Our primary focus is on patients with symptoms as they are more contagious.”

Over 4.5 lakh people have been kept in institutional quarantine in Maharashtra.

The number under contact tracing has also increased. All high-risk contacts are being shifted to the first tier Covid care centres (CCC1), which are located in hotels, newly-constructed buildings and similar structures, but don’t have round-the-clock medical care.

“At places, especially in slums where social distancing is not feasible, we isolate the high-risk contacts in lodges, hotels and other structures so that they don’t contract the infection. So, with a rise in cases, the number of institutional quarantine will also increase,” said Dr Pradeep Awate, state surveillance officer.