Citizens under home isolation go off radar, giving COVID-19 managers a rough run

Many have either switched off their phones or are simply refusing to receive calls from those monitoring their health status daily

COVID management in the city has turned into a perennial chase, as the staff of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) have come to realise, thanks to uncooperative citizens. While they continue to grapple with contact tracing, keeping an eye on people in the high-risk category, running after relatives of deceased COVID-19 patients for the funeral, they are now landed with the added responsibility of keeping tab on people put on home quarantine or isolation, with many of them turning incommunicado after getting home.

Since last week, following the guidelines of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the local administration allowed asymptomatic and those with mild symptoms to go into home isolation for 17 days, while others suspected to have been exposed to the virus were to be home-quarantined for 14 days.

At present, 5,600 to 6,000 citizens are under home quarantine, while another 531 have been prescribed home isolation. However, about 800-1,000 of those in home quarantine are unreachable, while 500 others refuse to respond to calls, said officials. Similarly, about 60-70 patients in home isolation have switched off their phones and another 40-50 do not receive calls.

This has made monitoring that much more difficult for the managers of the COVID-19 spread. “We are unable to control the situation with the citizens not cooperating. They go home and simply switch off their phones, piling on our already huge workload. The mandate is for them to be on the Aarogya Setu app round the clock. They were counselled on this before being sent home. But they are not following the instructions. How many COVID-care centres can we open to keep such citizens under observation? While we’re working for the good of the society, people are unable to appreciate that,” complained Dr Sanjeev Wavare, assistant health chief at PMC.


The civic body has tasked 36 members of its staff to daily call and take update on citizens put under home quarantine or isolation, as per protocol. But the exercise is being defeated by the unobliging citizens. “Once home, people don’t bother to follow rules. Citizens need to give honest report on their health status so they don’t land in trouble. If they are experiencing issues, they are advised to visit the nearest COVID-care centre. To date, only three of the 531asymptomatic patients in home isolation have confirmed that they’ve developed cognisable symptoms and were subsequently hospitalised,” observed Sanjay Gawade, assistant commissioner at PMC’s technical department.

Underscoring the uphill task the whole process of managing the COVID-19 situation in the city has become due to people’s irresponsible and unyielding behaviour, he added, “We have to track down positive patients as well as keep an eye on those in the high-risk category. The pressure has been building up with the number of cases going up each day. Despite the lockdown people are found roaming the streets. How much can we do if the citizens don’t cooperate?”