West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that family members of those who test positive for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) can stay in home quarantine instead of institutional quarantine from now. The state health department issued an order stating this.
According to the order, “Primary/secondary contacts of COVID positive cases and who have reasonable living/physical spaces in their homes, may be put under home quarantine instead of institutional quarantine, with the necessary advice on social and physical distancing, use of masks, and other dos and don’ts.”
The order says that even those in home quarantine, “the persons concerned will be under close surveillance of the local health authorities and their health status will be monitored closely”. Those who test positive however, will be taken to designated COVID hospitals.
Banerjee said during the press conference that the government will provide those in home quarantine with necessary treatment and other aids through telemedicine facility. The government will, however, arrange quarantine facilities for those who are poor and don’t have enough room to maintain social distancing in their homes.
The CM said that the decision was taken as many people fear being taken to quarantine centres and people remain psychologically in a better state if they stays home, she added. “You will just have to inform the government if you think you’ve come in contact with a COVID-19 patient, so that the government can monitor you at your home,” Banerjee said.
The CM said that the administration will also benefit from this as there is a limit on how many persons can be quarantined in government centres. It will also reduce efforts on part of the government to transport them to the centres, she added.
Home quarantining is being used in several parts of the world as a model isolation method.
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