Assam: Completing quarantine made mandatory for all returnees

GUWAHATI: The Assam cabinet on Tuesday approved ruthless implementation of quarantine protocol and no one arriving from outside the state - either by air, land or train - will be allowed to go home without completing the quarantine period.
"Ruthless quarantine is the only option to wall transmission of Covid-19 in the community," cabinet minister Chandramohan Patowary said in his briefing.
The cabinet also decided to support folk artistes of the state who earn their livelihood by performing in religious or cultural functions and have been hit the hardest due to the lockdown. "The cabinet has decided to provide each of them Rs 2,000 per month for April, May, June," Patowary said.
The cabinet also discussed the flood situation in the state and directed the deputy commissioners to take all necessary steps to repair embankments and stock essential food items for the flood-hit people. It also directed the district in-charge ministers for Covid-19 to take additional charge of supervising the situation due to floods, erosion and thunderstorm.
To encourage youth in agriculture and allied sectors, the cabinet approved allocation of 1176 bighas of land to the Bharali Pariya Kanyaka Bahumukhi Paam led by BJP legislator Padma Hazarika.
The state quarantine protocol requires every returnee to strictly observe seven days of facility quarantine or till his test report comes negative and then proceed for home quarantine for the remaining days of the 14-day quarantine period. During the period of home quarantine, the entire household will be put under quarantine and no family member can leave the house. A person will be allowed to go on home quarantine from institutional quarantine only after his test result comes negative.
Earlier, when the inflow of people was minimal, everyone was put in institutional quarantine for the entire 14 days.
There are a few exceptions though. People arriving and returning on the same day will not be quarantined. A category of travellers, who are exempted from institutional quarantine, but not from 14-day home quarantine, are pregnant women, people above 75 years of age, the differently abled, people with children below 10 years, people who have come to visit their parents or immediate family members who are in hospitals and people coming to attend last rites of their parents or immediate family members.
Even visiting VVIPs, including governors, Union ministers or ministers of other states who arrive will be exempted from general quarantine norms. However, they will have to stay in government bhawans or guest houses and have to comply with all social distancing and hygiene norms during their stay in the state.