Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Srinagar, Sept 2: Suhail Ahmad, who is working in Bangalore, was reluctant to return home fearing he might have to go for administrative quarantine after his arrival in Kashmir. However, on Tuesday when he reached Srinagar Airport, he was allowed to go home in North Kashmir’s Baramulla’s district after collecting his samples for COVID-19 testing.
“This provided me with a big relief that I was allowed to go home. I am told that my report will reach by the evening and I should take all preventive measures at home,” Ahmad told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service KINS.
There are hundreds of people like him who have appreciated the administration for allowing travelers to go home. “Administrative quarantine was bringing inconveniences for people as there were no adequate facilities available. But allowing people to go home after reaching Srinagar Airport is a well appreciated step,” said Mohammad Altaf, a resident of Ganderbal.
“If any traveler is found COVID-19 positive and is asymptomatic, he has to be kept in home quarantine. Only symptomatic patients have to go for administrative quarantine or to be admitted to hospital,” a doctor said.
Till Monday evening, Srinagar Airport Authorities have received 1,332 domestic flights with 1,80,367 passengers since May 25.
“The Government has made elaborate arrangements for the arrival, screening, sampling and proper transportation of the passengers to the quarantine centers taking special care of guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prescribed by the Union Ministries of Civil Aviation and Health and Family Welfare,” an official said.
Jammu and Kashmir last month revised its guidelines and declared that all asymptomatic Covid positive cases would be in-home isolation.
As per the guidelines, Covid positive cases would be allowed home isolation with conditions free Oximeter, compulsory Arogya Setu App and proper isolation space with a poster outside the house.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir has issued a directive which says that home isolation of positive patients has increased responsibilities of administration as it has to monitor each and every individual patient kept in home isolation on a daily basis.
“All the patients should be visited on a daily basis, in order to keep track of the positive patients, regular phone calls during mornings and evenings shall be made from the Control Room and the same shall be recorded on a register maintained for the purpose. A WhatsApp group should be made with all the Covid positive patients put on home isolation at the block level to monitor their health status. Any patient who develops symptoms shall be immediately shifted to Covid Health Facility,” the directive reads, a copy of which lies with news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).
The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir directed all the districts to ensure the availability of Oximeters to every Home Isolated positive patient so that they are able to monitor the essential parameters. “After the home isolation period is over, the oximeters shall be taken back and used for subsequent patients,” he said.
In a modification in the protocol for positives of Covid- 19 infection and their contacts, Jammu and Kashmir Government had revised home isolation guidelines to permit such patients for home quarantine who are asymptomatic with no comorbidity and are not vulnerable otherwise.(KINS)
No administrative quarantine for inbound travelers in Kashmir
