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Migrants in Jaipur wait for buses to take them to the railway station to catch trains for their home states. (Express photo by Rohit Jain Paras)

The Indian Express

Action against 1,300 migrants for breaching quarantine

Gram Panchayat buildings, hostels, schools and other such buildings, which are being used as institutional quarantine, add up to a total of 10,212 quarantine centres across the state.

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Action has been taken against as many as 1,306 migrants for violating the mandatory 14-day quarantine, officials said Wednesday.

Public Works Department Additional Chief Secretary Veenu Gupta, who is also the head of the state-level quarantine management committee, said that at present, more than 21,000 people are in institutional quarantine, while more than 4.75 lakh people are in home quarantine. It is compulsory for migrant labourers and others returning to the state to be in a 14-day quarantine, and action has been taken against those who have breached the same, she said.

The ACS said that people who are in home quarantine are strictly monitored and those who violate it are first counselled and then sent to institutional quarantine. Monitoring of people in home quarantine is done through Covid Quarantine Alert System (CQAS) application by Department of Information and Technology (DoIT). If any person breaches the quarantine, then information is received on CQAS and immediate action is taken.

Gupta said that 1,306 people breached quarantine, of which 604 people were sent to institutional quarantine from home quarantine, while notice was served or penalty was imposed or an FIR was lodged against 702 people for violating quarantine.

She said that all migrant labourers returning to the state are screened while entering, and if no symptoms are found, then they are asked to remain in home quarantine. If symptoms are found, then that person is sent to an institutional quarantine.

Moreover, if a migrant has little space in their house for proper home quarantine, then he or she is sent to institutional quarantine. Gram Panchayat buildings, hostels, schools and other such buildings, which are being used as institutional quarantine, add up to a total of 10,212 quarantine centres across the state.