Gujarat: Quarantine not must for all 'outsiders', says Navsari MP

SURAT: Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has asked all industrial units not to call workers, who have come to the city from outside, until they complete 14 days mandatory self quarantine period here.
"We have got a case where a labourer who came from Haryana in Limbayat on May 21. He started working in an industrial unit immediately, but tested positive for Covid-19. So, I request all industrial unit owners not to allow workers to come before completing 14 days mandatory self quarantined period,'' Banchhanidhi Pani, municipal commissioner, said.
"Also, slum areas are hardest hit in the city and therefore I appeal to people to take care of their drivers, security guards and other helps coming from these areas and give them masks and sanitizers, so that we can prevent the spread of the virus,'' Pani urged.
Navsari MP CR Paatil, however, said that only those having symptoms of Covid-19 should be home quarantined and not everyone coming from outside Surat.
BJP councillor Vijay Chomal posted a message on his official Facebook page saying that he had a video conference with Paatil and Limbayat MLA Sangita Patil to discuss if people who had gone to Rajasthan from Surat during the lockdown will require to stay in quarantined on their return. Paatil informed him to call everyone from Rajasthan and tell them there was no need to for quarantine.
Paatil even cited example of a local BJP leader, Dinesh Rajpurohit, who had returned from Rajasthan few days ago, but is moving around freely in the city.
When contacted, Paatil said, “The Shramik special trains have transported more than eight lakh people from Surat and they are going to return in a month or two. Is it possible to quarantine such a huge population of migrants returning back to Surat?.”
Deputy municipal commissioner (health and hospital), Dr Ashish Naik said, “It is mandatory for those coming from other states to stay under 14 days home quarantine. We have cases where people came from other states and tested positive after resuming work.”