Delhi lifts 7-day mandatory institutional quarantine for UK fliers
Summary
An order by DDMA stated that “considering low positivity rate of UK returnees”, passengers arriving from the UK will not be sent to mandatory institutional quarantine if they test negative for coronavirus.
On Saturday (January 30), the Delhi government lifted the seven-day mandatory institutional quarantine for passengers arriving from the United Kingdom (UK) who test negative for COVID-19 at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.
An order by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) stated that “considering low positivity rate of UK returnees”, passengers arriving from the UK will not be sent to mandatory institutional quarantine if they test negative for coronavirus. However, all passengers will have to undergo home quarantine, as mandated by the health ministry.
Delhi govt has lifted the 7-day mandatory institutional quarantine for UK returnees who test negative for #COVID19 at the IGI airport.
All passengers will have to undergo Home Quarantine as mandated by health ministry pic.twitter.com/766biOI0c3
— CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18Live) January 30, 2021
The government had tightened the COVID-19 protocol on January 8, by ordering mandatory institutional quarantine, even for those who tested negative for the disease.
In a tweet, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had stated: “All those arriving from UK, who test positive will be isolated in an isolation facility. Negative ones will be taken to a quarantine facility for 7 days followed by 7 days home quarantine (sic).”
To protect Delhiites from exposure to virus from UK, Del govt takes imp decisions.
All those arriving from UK, who test positive will be isolated in an isolation facility. Negative ones will be taken to a quarantine facility for 7 days followed by 7 days home quarantine pic.twitter.com/hYDsaOn8q1
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 8, 2021
The government’s decision then was taken amid concerns about a mutant fast-spreading strain of the coronavirus that emerged in Britain. Those who tested positive were then moved to special wards set up at a government-run hospital in Delhi and their samples were further tested for the nature of the strain.
Earlier, on December 23, 2020, the Centre had suspended services between India and the UK over the new and more contagious strain of the coronavirus. The Delhi chief minister had even urged the Centre to extend the flight-ban till January 31.
SOPs released by the government for UK returnees mandate them to go for self-paid COVID-19 tests on arrival. That apart, they must also carry a COVID-19 negative report from a test done 72 hours prior to the journey.
Even Maharashtra had declared seven-days institutional quarantine and seven-days home isolation for UK returnees. So far, 93 people have tested positive in Delhi for the mutant UK strain of coronavirus. In India, the total infections for the UK strain stands at 166.
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