Home quarantine okayed for asymptomatic overseas returnees
Relaxation for pregnant women, children, those above 80, terminally ill if they test negative via RT-PCR check
BENGALURU:
As the expatriation of Indian nationals from overseas continues, the Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Department has tweaked the existing SOP (standard operating procedure) to exempt arriving asymptomatic passengers from institutional quarantine under certain conditions.
As per a health department circular, home quarantine may be permitted for pregnant women, children below 10 years, senior citizens above 80 years and terminally ill persons if they test negative via an RT-PCR check.
On Wednesday, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department and Medical Education Department, Jawaid Akhtar issued a circular to all district deputy commissioners and department heads on the change in the SOP.
The circular refers to an earlier corrigendum of May 8 wherein all international passengers who are Category 2 (asymptomatic) shall be subjected to 14 days of institutional quarantine, and goes on to make the following relaxation:
“Immediately on their arrival, the below-mentioned category of international passengers shall be tested using the RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) technique as early as possible, and if the test is negative, they shall be exempted from Institutional Quarantine. Such passengers shall be stamped and sent for Home Quarantine for 14 days from the date of their arrival.”
The circular lists the ‘exempted’ category as : pregnant women, children below the age of 10 years, senior citizens aged 80 years and above, and terminally ill patients (eg., cancer, chronic kidney disease, stroke).
The circular further says that all such passengers will also be subjected to a further check by a medical team for symptoms/temperature/oxygen saturation to confirm the negative result.
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