COVID Advisory In Maharashtra: Holiday Returnees To Isolate For 5 Days

Mumbai: Health authorities in Maharashtra have directed those who had travelled outside the state during Christmas and New Year holidays to isolate themselves for five days on return.

Following a review meeting, Maharashtra’s COVID task force head Dr Raman Gangakhedkar said in case of any fever or cold developing, they must get tested for COVID infection.

As coronavirus cases rose in Maharashtra, Dr Gangakhedkar spoke of the possibility of infections spreading or surging among people who had travelled outside Mumbai during Christmas and New Year, taking extended holidays during year-end.

“So they must isolate themselves for five days,” he said.

The task force believes the next 15 days are very crucial to prevent COVID infections, and hence advised people experiencing fever, cold and cough to get tested for the coronavirus.

Experts said home isolation should suffice if hospitalisation is not required.

The task force also emphasised importance of screening for influenza-like illnesses (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) patients. People with symptoms should mandatorily undergo COVID testing. If Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) is positive, treatment should be symptomatic.

If symptoms are there and Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) is negative, RTPCR testing should be conducted for such patients, advised the task force.

Maharashtra reported 129 fresh COVID cases on January 5, of which 31 were from Mumbai. Active cases in the state have gone up to 630.