Asymptomatic patients to be home quarantined, says Himachal Chief Minister

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 1

With the surge in positive cases continuing, asymptomatic Covid patients will now be kept in home isolation and industrial units will be asked to create their own quarantine facilities with a minimum 10 per cent of the total strength of their employees, said Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while addressing Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police and Chief Medical Officers through a video conference from here today.

“Asymptomatic patients should be kept in home isolation and health workers should regularly visit them to ensure regular medical check-up,” he said.

Industrial units must create their own quarantine facilities while small units must be encouraged to create such a facility by pooling. The state government was planning to open temples soon for which SOPs would be prepared.

Thakur said till date, 2,16,608 people had tested for coronavirus of which 6,255 had been found positive. Cases per lakh in Himachal Pradesh were 87.3 as compared to national average of 267.7 cases. He said the death rate was 0.58 per hundred cases which was quite low as compared to national average of 1.7.

The Chief Minister said the Centre had provided 500 ventilators, 1.60 lakh PPE kits and over three lakh N-95 masks to Himachal for effectively fighting the pandemic. He said people accompanying patients and students, who need to move in and out of the state due to competitive exams, must not face quarantine, if they exit or re-enter the state within 72 hours.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Rajiv Saizal said they needed to be more specific in testing facilities. The curve of the pandemic could come down only by actively involving people and sensitising them to adopt social distancing, use face masks and sanitisers. He also felt the need for providing proper quarantine facilities for doctors and other paramedical staff.