On arrival, people have to adhere to some mandatory instructions: downloading the Aarogya Setu app the moment they land and 14-day quarantine followed by a coronavirus test. (Express file photo: Sneha Saha)
Haryana is expecting around 5,000 persons from abroad, starting Saturday. These people will arrive in special flights of Air India arranged by the Ministry of External Affairs. However, on arrival, they have to adhere to some mandatory instructions: downloading the Aarogya Setu app the moment they land and 14-day quarantine followed by a coronavirus test.
For a payment of Rs 1,200 to Rs 3,600 per day (with three meals), they can avail stay in a three-star to five-star facility.
Those who cannot afford the same will be lodged in Haryana government’s quarantine facilities at school buildings and dharamshalas, “free of cost”.
They can return home only after quarantine, the test, and a certificate issued by the health department.
“The first batch of 67 persons, 21 of whom are from Haryana and remaining from other states, landed in Delhi from Singapore at 12 noon. Another flight from Dhaka is expected to bring back more people of Haryana on Saturday,” said Dr Hanif Qureshi, senior IPS officer, who has been appointed as nodal officer by the Haryana government.
Out of 67 who arrived Friday, at least 52 persons consented to stay in paid facilities.
“A few of those who landed today are also from other states including Punjab and Rajasthan. We have made arrangements for them too,” Dr Qureshi added.
Rajesh Joon, another officer of Haryana Tourism Department deputed for providing accommodation to the people arriving on these special flights, said, “Instructions from state government are clear that we need to take care of all those who are arriving on these special flights. It is a matter of our state’s honour and we are doing our best to accommodate all these people and ensure they get best service. In today’s batch, passengers were lodged in hotels at Gurugram and Faridabad and a few were also sent to Delhi where they picked their places of stay.”
He added, “Several hotels have been identified by district magistrates where these people shall be lodged. The tariff was finalised after consultation between the government and hoteliers. Once, these people complete their surveillance period of 14 days and test negative, they shall be transported back to their district headquarters from where they can go to their homes.”
“It has been decided by MHA that all passengers will have to be institutionally quarantined for a period of 14 days preferably at the district headquarters of the districts to which the arriving passengers belong. On arrival at the international airport, a health checkup of all the passengers will be carried out. The passengers found to be Covid positive shall be taken to the designated medical facilities as per health protocol of the state government. The remaining passengers shall be taken to the districts to which they belong by buses arranged by the concerned deputy commissioners and institutionally quarantined there for 14 days,” read an order issued by Haryana’s Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Vijai Vardhan.
How these persons will eventually reach their homes
The concerned deputy commissioners will dispatch the required number of buses of Haryana roadways to the international airport to ferry passengers back to the district institutional quarantine centres/hotels. The superintendents of police/commissioners of police shall ensure that a police constable in uniform shall accompany the buses.