Uttarakhand issues new SOPs for COVID-19 quarantine; mandates certain guidelines

Uttarakhand government on Tuesday issued a new standard operating procedure (SOP) regarding COVID-19 quarantine to be followed in the state. The Trivendra Singh Rawat-led government has stated that the quarantine arrangements so made shall be duly intimated to the state government/district Nodal Officer on a regular basis.

"The Army, Air Force, Navy and other Paramilitary forces shall make their own arrangements for institutional quarantining of their officers, personnel and family members inbound from high load COVID-19 infected cities/ districts for 7 days followed by home quarantine of 14 days," the notice read.

The notice further stated that all inbound persons from other states, irrespective of the mode of travel, shall mandatorily download and update Aarogya Setu mobile application.

"There quarantine facilities shall meet the standards of the Ministry of Health. The quarantine arrangements so made shall be duly intimated to the state government/district Nodal Officer on a regular basis. All inbound persons from other states, irrespective of the mode of travel, shall mandatorily download and update Aarogya Setu mobile application," the notice read.

"However, in case of inter-state and intra-state movement for official purposes, Ministers of Government of India, Ministers of Government of Uttarakhand, Chief Justice and the Judges of the High Court of Nainital, all judges and judicial officers of district and subordinate judiciary of the state, MPs and MLAs of Uttarkhand, all officers of GoI, State shall be exempted from being quarantined. However, such individuals shall ensure compliance of all norms of safety and social distancing, as per the guidelines of MoHFW and MHA," the letter added.

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State's COVID tally at 1488

Uttarakhand's COVID-19 tally rose to 1,488 on Tuesday, with 77 more people testing positive for the virus. A state health department bulletin said Tehri district reported the highest number of 43 positive cases, Pithoragarh seven, Haridwar, Nainital, Pauri and Rudraprayag districts four each, Dehradun and Bageshwar three each and Almora one.

Four more cases were reported from private laboratories of which details were not given in the bulletin. As many as 749 patients have been discharged after recovery so far and the number of active cases stands at 719 after 13 deaths and migration of seven positive patients outside the state, it said.

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