COVID-19 Alert: Mandatory Registration Of People Coming To Odisha From Abroad

Bhubaneswar: Anticipating a huge surge of people returning from abroad to Odisha following the outbreak of the Coronavirus, the Odisha government on Monday announced compulsory registration for them.

Briefing mediapersons here, Chief Secretary Asit Kumar Tripathy said it is mandatory for people coming to Odisha from abroad to register themselveson the toll-free number 104 or the online portal https://covid19.odisha.gov.in. They should do it within 24 hours of arrival with basic details and phone numbers. However advance registration before arrival will be highly preferable, he pointed out.

Tripathy said that those coming from abroad to the state will be required to be in home quarantine for 14 days. “They will be given an incentive of Rs 15,000 for registration and home isolation. Their location will be tracked during their home isolation and the mandated number of calls will be made every day to keep a close watch and give appropriate medical guidance,” he added.

However, he said that for those who have already entered the state (on or after March 4), there is a 48-hour period from 6 am on Tuesday to March 19 (6 am) to register themselves. This will help the state to sensitise them about home isolation and keep a watch on their health for effective monitoring of the situation. The registrations can be done by the passengers themselves, their relatives or friends.

Stating that the directive has been issued as per the overall regulations, the chief secretary said non-compliance will be punishable under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). “This initiative is being taken as a measure of abundant caution to protect the people of Odisha from getting infected by people who may be carriers of COVID-19 from abroad. This regulation will be in force till April 15 and may be extended after a review of the situation.

Extraordinary situations demand an extraordinary response. The state will leave no stone unturned in taking necessary proactive steps to protect the lives of the people of Odisha,” Tripathy said.