Fearing a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases with the influx of thousands of migrants into rural areas, the Rajasthan government has resorted to effective quarantine management as a strategy to deal with the threat. Among the migrants who have returned from States such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh, 313 persons have so far tested positive.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said on Friday that a 14-day quarantine had been made mandatory for everyone coming from outside under the Epidemic Diseases Ordinance, 2020, promulgated earlier this month. In addition to home quarantine, arrangements have been made for institutional quarantine facilities for the migrants.
Mr. Gehlot said “best practices” would be applied for migrant workers staying at the quarantine centres. Those travelling from one district to another, except from hotpots and curfew-bound areas, will not be sent to the quarantine facilities. Among these people, only those showing symptoms of influenza-like illness will be quarantined. “Effective quarantine was a major factor which helped contain the spread of novel coronavirus in Bhilwara, Jhunjhunu and other districts,” Mr. Gehlot said.
Quarantine management committees have since been appointed from the State to the village panchayat levels.
About 19.84 lakh migrants in the State have registered for inter-State movement and 11.14 lakh will be returning to Rajasthan.
As many as 3.62 lakh migrants have returned, posing a big challenge of screening, sampling and enforcing quarantine.
