As the novel coronavirus cases in Delhi continued to show an alarming upward trend, Lt Governor Anil Baijal on Friday ordered that five-day institutional-quarantine is mandatory for every COVID-19 patient under home isolation. The LG’s order followed the Union Home Ministry’s direction that home isolation cannot be allowed in the city anymore given the steep rise in cases.
The Delhi government had earlier said that asymptomatic cases and those with mild symptoms can quarantine themselves at home.
“Five days institutional quarantine of each case under home-quarantine is to be made mandatory and, thereafter, (they) will be sent for home-isolation, except in cases where symptoms require further hospitalization,” Baijal said in his order.
Read: Health systems in Delhi about to get overwhelmed by COVID-19: Doctors
Once the order comes into force, all patients—both symptomatic and asymptomatic—will be required to stay in institutional quarantine for five days.
The LG has also mandated physical verification of each case under home isolation and said: "The verification will be carried out by surveillance teams of district surveillance officers under the supervision of District Magistrate," the order states.”
According to the government, there are around 8,500 COVID-19 patients in home isolation in Delhi, who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms.
With a record spike of 2,877 COVID-19 cases on Friday, the total number of patients in the national capital has come closer to the 50,000-mark, while the death toll has mounted to 1,969. The city has 243 containment zones.
