Double isolation for home quarantine violators in Punjab

CHANDIGARH: Perturbed with people rampantly violating home quarantine norms, the Punjab government has decided to double the isolation period of erring individuals. Habitual offenders will be shifted to state quarantine facilities on payment basis, besides facing legal action and monetary penalty.
The state government has acted after a large number of people ordered to stay in home quarantine continued to flout the norms, despite repeated appeals. In last 20 days about 2,000 people deliberately ignored the instructions issued by the health department. TOI had on Thursday highlighted how people put in home quarantine were stepping out of their homes, despite giving an undertaking, due to lack of enforcement.
People coming from outside the state are sent to 14-day home quarantine, the period of which will be extended to 28 if any violation is detected, while in case of patients discharged after 10-day hospitalisation are found not following the rules, their seven-day isolation period will be extended to 14 days. The lawbreakers will be made to pay fine in the rage of Rs 500 to Rs 1,000.
Instructions have been issued to deputy commissioners to activate surveillance teams for ensuring that persons under home quarantine stay at home all the time during the isolation period.
COVA App, developed by department of governance reforms, enables geo-fencing which detects breach of home quarantine and sends a message to the tracking teams. Deputy commissioners are to be informed immediately about the breach so that they can act promptly.
"The government has taken serious note of people breaching home quarantine. Options have been given to DCs to either double the isolation period of erring individual or shifted them to government facility, besides initiating legal action under section 188 of the IPC," said Ravi Bhagat, special secretary, department of governance reforms, Punjab.
He has been asked to daily generate report regarding the number of instances of breach of home quarantine and action taken by district authorities. "Provision to enter action taken on home quarantine breach has been made in the Cova portal," said Bhagat.