Foreign returnees have to remain in institutional quarantine for 14 days: Director Health

Srinagar, May 26 :Director Health Services Kashmir, Dr Sameer Matoo on Tuesday clarified that Kashmiris, who have returned from different countries, will have to spend mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine period irrespective of their test results.

However, he said domestic travelers, who are returning to the valley though bus, train and plane, will be sent to home quarantine once their test results come negative.

“There is a distinction between domestic and international travelers so have separate quarantine policy,” Dr Matoo told UNI.

He said irrespective of the test results all the locals, who have returned from other countries, will have to complete the mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine period. “If the test comes negative they will stay put and complete the quarantine period. If it comes positive, the person will be shifted to isolation ward of a hospital,” he added.

Dr Matoo said on the contrary, once the test result of domestic travelers come negative, they would be sent home, where they will have to remain under quarantine for the designated time.

Meanwhile, major change in quarantine policy was made for arrivals. Chief Secretary J&K as head of State Executive Committee notified special protocol for expecting women, patients, children & those with test certificates.

The notification issued on Sunday stated that pregnant women in the last trimester, with a doctor’s certificate of pregnancy, will be sampled on arrival and sent for 14 days home quarantine.

Similarly, cancer patients on chemotherapy, chronically ill patients, discharged from hospital after surgery, dialysis patients and mothers with infants below one year, will be sent for home quarantine.

Children below 10 years travelling without family members, Government of India personnel on bona fide government duty and passengers travelling with an RTPCR test negative certificate from an ICMR approved laboratory, not older than two days before the arrival will also be sent for home quarantine after sample collection on arrival.

The COVID-19 cases have continued to rise unabated with the number of infected persons surpassing 1700-mark in J&K, where so far 24 lives have been lost due to the virus.