BHUBANESWAR: In the wake of a nationwide alert over the new and highly infectious coronavirus strain, Odisha Government on Tuesday made 14-day quarantine mandatory for people who have returned from UK in last two weeks. The returnees or visitors from UK, who have tested positive for Covid-19 will undergo institutional quarantine while those negative will remain in-home quarantine. The decision was taken after the Centre issued an SOP directing the States to take necessary precautionary measures and put in place required surveillance and quarantine measures for the new virulent strain.
As per an order issued by the Health and Family Welfare department, passengers with travel history of UK or transiting through the airports in UK and returning to Odisha will now have to remain in mandatory home quarantine with self-monitoring and periodic checks by the Rapid Response Team for 14 days. If any person is found symptomatic within the quarantine period, RT-PCR test will be conducted.
Additional Chief Secretary of Health department PK Mohapatra said the passengers, who have returned from UK or transited through any UK airport since December 7 will have to submit a self-declaration mentioning their date of return. “They will remain in home isolation for 14 days from their arrival date. If they develop symptoms and test positive, they will be shifted to institutional quarantine for necessary treatment. As suggested by the Centre, their samples will be sent for genome sequencing,” he said.
At a time when the number of Covid positive cases is declining steadily in the State, Mohapatra said, any interjection of a SARS-CoV-2 variant through passengers with air travel history may pose critical risks for management of the pandemic.
The Health department has asked the directors of Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA), Jharsuguda airport, Director of Capital Hospital, Commissioner of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), Collector and CDM&PHO of Jharsuguda to initiate precautionary measures for the distinct cluster of SARS-CoV2. “They have been directed to ensure strict adherence to the SOP issued by Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,” Mohapatra added.