Quarantine to home and back after entry barred

CUTTACK: The State Government’s decision to discharge migrant workers from temporary medical camps (TMCs) after they test negative and send them to ‘home quarantine’ has left many in distress. 
With family members disallowing their entry, some migrants have returned to their quarantine centres, while others continue to lead a miserable life by isolating themselves in abandoned houses in their villages.

As many as 48 migrants who had returned from different outside states were quarantined at Ahemmad Bux High School in Nischintakoili block. After four days, their throat swabs were drawn and sent for examination. When the results came three days later, only one person tested positive.
After staying for seven days, the migrants who had tested negative for COVID-19 were discharged from the TMC on May 19, just a day before cyclone Amphan blew by the State. They were advised to go for home quarantine. However, seven of them returned to the TMC as their family members had allegedly refused them entry.

“Due to lack of facilities, the seven migrant workers faced difficulties in isolating themselves at their homes. They returned and requested us to accommodate them at the TMC following which we allowed them to stay in the institutional facilities,” said Nischintakoili BDO Karnadev Samaddar. Similarly, after undergoing quarantine for 10 days at the TMC set up on the premises of RK Engineering College in Niali, 12 migrants who tested negative for Covid-19 were discharged on May 19 at 5 pm and advised home quarantine for another 11 days.

Here too, their family members and neighbours did not allow them to enter their houses and they were reportedly compelled to stay in abandoned houses in their locality. “Though the migrants urged the block administration not to release them citing Government’s instruction not to go out during the cyclone, the BDO turned a deaf ear and forcefully discharged them. Now they sare staying in abandoned houses in their villages,” said panchayat samiti member of Eranja panchayat Manoj Mohapatra who also filed an FIR in this regard against Niali BDO with Niali police station.

The Panchayat Raj department had issued letter to all BDOs instructing them to discharge those persons who test negative for COVID-19 and have mild symptoms or no symptoms for home quarantine for the remaining period of 28 days from the date of their arrival in Odisha. However, most migrant workers lack adequate number of rooms and basic facilities like additional tube well, toilets which makes it difficult on their part to keep themselves isolated in their homes.