Jammu and Kashmir to allow ‘home quarantine’ of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients with no comorbidities

This decision has been taken by the administration following a directive of Lieutenant Governor Girish Chander Murmu to smoothen the process of management of COVID-19 patients in Jammu and Kashmir. (File photo: PTI)

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Monday decided to allow home quarantine of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients with no comorbidities, provided they can have a separate room for themselves in the house and download the Aarogya Setu app, officials said.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam to review COVID-19 mitigation measures in Jammu and Kashmir. It was also decided that four tertiary hospitals in Srinagar and three in Jammu city would now be referral facilities for COVID-19.

“In order to achieve better compliance amongst the contacts of COVID-19 patients, it has been decided that the present practice of administrative quarantine of COVID positive contacts, shall be dispensed with and the contacts shall be permitted home quarantine provided they are asymptomatic,” according to a statement.

This decision has been taken by the administration following a directive of Lieutenant Governor Girish Chander Murmu to smoothen the process of management of COVID-19 patients in Jammu and Kashmir.

Keeping in view better management of COVID-19 patients, the protocol will be revised and all asymptomatic patients with no comorbidities and not vulnerable otherwise will be allowed to remain under home quarantine, if they have a separate room facility at home and have downloaded the Aarogya Setu mobile application on their phones, the chief secretary said.

He said all such patients will be provided with a pulse oximeter to monitor their oxygen saturation levels and in event of drop in oxygen saturation below 90 per cent they shall immediately report to hospitals. He said a massive campaign for surveillance involving Panchayati Raj Institutions will be initiated to help in identify suspected COVID-19 cases in rural areas.