'To Protect Delhite', Kejriwal Announces 14 Days Quarantine For Passengers Arriving From UK

After testing those who get positive, will be sent to a 14-day mandatory institutional isolation facility, and those testing negative for the coronavirus would be taken to a quarantine center for seven days, followed by a seven-day home quarantine.

(File Photo/ Getty)

Delhi: Amid the outbreak of the new and more contagious variant of the Coronavirus that emerged in the United Kingdom (UK), the administration of New Delhi has issued a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for passengers who will be arriving in the national capital from the UK as flights between India and the UK resumed today. All passengers’ flights between India and the UK were suspended from December 23 and January 7. As per the new SOPs, all the passengers from the UK would have to get themselves tested for the coronavirus on their arrival. After testing those who get positive, will be sent to a 14-day mandatory institutional isolation facility, and those testing negative for the coronavirus would be taken to a quarantine center for seven days, followed by a seven-day home quarantine. "Those who are found positive shall be isolated in an institutional isolation facility in a separate (isolation) unit as per existing laid down protocol. Those who are found negative shall be kept in compulsory institutional quarantine for a period of 7 days followed by 7 days of home quarantine," said the order released by the Delhi government. Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister of Delhi, talking about the new SOPs, took to Twitter and said, "To protect Delhiites from exposure to the 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."

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

With concerns of the new Covid-19 strain, the Union Government has too issued a set of guidelines. Apart from the mandatory RT-PCR tests, India made negative Covid-19 test reports mandatory for all the passengers from the UK. While the Delhi government has made seven-day institutional quarantine a must for the passengers who test negative, the Centre had said passengers testing negative would be advised for 14-day home quarantine. Meanwhile, amid the outbreak of the virus that is 70 per cent more contagious, the Delhi CM on Thursday, appealed to the center to extend the ban on fights between both the countries until January 31. “The Centre has decided to lift the ban and start UK flights. In view of the extremely serious situation in the UK, I would urge the central government to extend the ban till January 31,” Arvind Kejriwal said on Twitter.

Centre has decided to lift the ban and start UK flights.

In view of extremely serious COVID situation in UK, I wud urge central govt to extend the ban till 31 Jan — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 7, 2021

“With great difficulty, people have brought the coronavirus situation in control. UK's coronavirus situation is very serious. Now, why to lift ban and expose our people to risk?” the chief minister said. Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Civil Aviation, on Friday said that flights between India and the United Kingdom will resume partially from January 8.