LUCKNOW: Following the outbreak of COVID-19, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided that people who are returning to the state from other states will be quarantined at hostels and dharamshalas instead of them reuniting with families.
In a statement issued here on Sunday, Chief Secretary R K Tiwari said, "To stop the possible spread of the pandemic, people who are returning to the state from other states will be quarantined at hostels and dharamshalas instead of them reuniting with families. They should be allowed to go to their homes only after they complete the quarantine period."
The quarantine period will be for 14 days.
He added that adequate arrangement of food and water should be made at the hostels and dharamshalas.
Earlier in the day, nearly one lakh people who have already arrived in the state over the last few days have been asked by the government to remain in home quarantine with instructions conveyed to the village pradhans.
Principal Secretary, Medical and Health, Amit Mohan Prasad had told PTI, "Through community surveillance and our departmental officers, they (people arriving in the state) have been told to be in homes. They will be in home quarantine for a period of 14 days."
On Saturday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had issued directions to officials to keep the approximately one lakh people, who have arrived in the state in the last three days from other parts of the country, in home quarantine.
Their names, addresses and phone numbers have been made available to the district magistrates and are being monitored, the spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, in Gorakhpur, people who entered the district on Sunday were stamped on their arms at two places with more than 5,000 people sent to home quarantine.
However, district officials later decided to paste notices outside the home of the person who has symptoms stating that he/she is in quarantine instead of the stamping.
"The people arriving from outside are being screened and stamped at Nausad crossing, railway station, bus station before allowing them to move towards their destinations.
They were directed to live in home quarantine for 14 days.
If anyone is found with high temperature or any other sign, he/she will be sent to the district hospital," Gorakhpur Chief Medical Officer Srikant Tiwari said.
"Till now more than 5,000 people have been home quarantined. As many as 10 samples of coronavirus suspects were sent for test but all of them were found to be negative," he added.