South Africa Returnee ‘Booked For Violating’ Home Quarantine Covid Protocol: Chandigarh Health Secretary

The authorities initiated strict action against the woman, whose RT-PCR report was negative, after she checked into a five-star hotel in Chandigarh.

(File Photo/ AFP)

New Delhi: A woman, who returned to Chandigarh from South Africa earlier on Thursday, has been booked for violating the home quarantine Covid protocol for the international travellers from “at-risk” nations.

The authorities initiated strict action against the woman, whose RT-PCR report was negative, after she checked into a five-star hotel in Chandigarh.

“A South Africa returnee has been booked for violating home quarantine protocol. She had returned on December 1, her RT-PCR report was negative,” Chandigarh Health Secretary Yashpal Garg told news agency ANI on Saturday.

“On December 2, she broke home quarantine protocol and checked into a hotel. Her repeat sampling is due on December 8,” he added.

With the administration stepping up surveillance of those returning from abroad, the hotels and guest houses in Chandigarh have been directed to ascertain travel history of the visitors for the last 15 days at the time of their check-in.

This comes as 11 countries, including South Africa, Brazil, Zimbabwe, China, Botswana, Zealand, Israel, Mauritius, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and Singapore, have been categorised as ‘at risk’ nations.

A Chandigarh resident, who returned from South Africa a few days ago, tested Covid positive earlier on Monday. The sample of the man aged over 35 was sent to Delhi for whole genome sequencing.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Omicron as a Variant of Concern (VoC).

The variant was first detected in November in South Africa and has since spread to dozens of countries, including India.

Earlier on Thursday, the Union Health Ministry said two cases of the Omicron variant have been reported in Karnataka.