Pune: Rise in home quarantine infractions, say officials

PUNE: Home quarantine violations by those who have returned to the city are on the rise, but their constant monitoring would be impossible, officials said.
Since June 2, over 20,000 people have arrived in Pune by train — 8,500 are construction workers. The workers are registered, but officials said they will not be able to check if the workers have cut short the 14-day home quarantine rule.
Nearly 1.25 lakh migrant workers left Pune by train during the lockdown. Another 53,000 left for their hometowns by bus. Officials said 5% of these workers have returned so far, with many more expected to arrive by the middle of next month.
Returning migrant workers are screened via thermal scanners at train and bus stations. They are then stamped and advised home quarantine. However, ensuring compliance is a major problem, an official said.
“We keep a register of names but it is practically impossible to constantly monitor such numbers. The thermal scanners have so far detected only one symptomatic person among the 20,000 returnees,” the official said. Pune municipal commissioner Shekar Gaikwad said according to the Indian Council of Medical Research, only symptomatics need monitoring. “It is impossible to monitor everyone. People must take responsibility too,” he said.