Punjab govt issues guidelines for all inbound passengers, asserts Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu
Following Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh's announcement mandating quarantine for people entering Punjab, the Health Department on Tuesday issued a detailed advisory specifying health protocol and procedure for International as well as Domestic travellers coming by Air, Rail and by Road.
Punjab Health & Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said that the Punjab health department has issued comprehensive guidelines and has specified that all international travellers will be required to handover self-declaration form having personal and health details to State officers for their screening as per the health protocol at the point of entry.
Meanwhile, aggressive testing, tracing and isolation is the only way to ensure against the spread of coronavirus, the Minister asserted. Inbound international Passengers found to be symptomatic during screening shall be taken to a health facility for testing and their RT-PCR samples as per ICMR criteria guidelines will be taken for Covid-19 testing. Those tested positive and asymptomatic, provided they are less than 60 yrs of age or do not have any comorbidity will be kept in Covid_Care Centers, the Minister further said.
Those who test positive and need medical supervision will be shifted to Level II or level III facility depending on their medical condition.
The asymptomatic passengers and those found negative will be taken into Institutional quarantine (Govt/hotel quarantine) on a payment basis and will be tested on the 5th day, he said. Adding, he said that If tested negative, they shall be allowed to go home after completion of 7 days of institutional quarantine and will be advised for home quarantine for another 7 days, a written undertaking in this regard shall be submitted to health officials/district administration. If tested positive they shall be shifted to Government isolation facility and treated as per health protocol.
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However, in case of exceptional circumstances such as pregnancy/ death of immediate family member/ Severe Mental Illness, the Deputy Commissioner may allow for 14 days of home quarantine instead of institutional quarantine and this must be intimated to Health Department, a spokesperson said. In addition, all such passengers will be required to download COVA app which should remain active.
For domestic travellers entering Punjab by air/train/inter-state travel by road, he said such people will also be screened at the entry points for symptoms of Covid-19.
-PTC News
