KOCHI: An ayurveda doctor on Thursday filed a petition before the High Court against the government decision to stipulate only seven days’ institutional quarantine for Indian expats being brought back from abroad. The government cannot dilute the norms.
Any failure or refusal on its part will put the lives of people living in the state in danger, defeating the efforts of the country to fight the pandemic, stated petitioner K J Krishna Kumar. He said the Ministry of Home Affairs had come out with a standard operating protocol (SOP) for bringing in Indians stuck abroad.
As per the SOP, before boarding passengers are required to give an undertaking that they will undergo the mandatory institutional quarantine for a minimum of 14 days on arrival at own cost. Besides, the SOP mandates that passengers who are asymptomatic during the screening are required to remain in institutional quarantine arranged by the respective state/U T administration for a minimum of 14 days.
Upon testing negative after 14 days, passengers are required to undertake self-monitoring at home for a further 14 days These guidelines are in line with the WHO guidelines. However, the chief minister had said at his media briefing on Wednesday that Indian nationals being brought back will have to undergo only seven days’ institutional quarantine and those who do not test positive after the period will remain in home quarantine. The chief minister also said children and pregnant women will be sent straight to home quarantine. The government decision went against the Centre’s guidelines.