COVID Monitoring Strategy: Odisha To Remove One State & Add 2 More To ‘Mandatory’ Home Isolation List!

Bhubaneswar: Chhattisgarh is likely to be removed from the list of returnees under home isolation restrictions imposed to check COVID-19 infection in Odisha.

At present, seven-day home isolation is mandatory for people arriving from five ‘high risk’ states – Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. They are also required to undergo RT-PCR test in case of any possible symptoms.

However, asymptomatic travellers, who produce RT-PCR negative report (done not more than 72 hours before boarding) or Covid vaccination final certificate, are exempted for home isolation.

A three-member committee – Director (Public Health) Niranjan Mishra, RMRC director Sanghamitra Pati and ILS director Ajay Parida – set up by the Health Department has instead suggested that Karnataka and Gujarat be included in the list.

Quoting sources, The Times of India, however, said that any decision to tweak the monitoring strategy will be taken after the video-conferencing of the Prime Minister with chief ministers on Wednesday.

Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra said that the government is against making any sudden changes since the infection is on the decline. “Appropriate decision will be taken whenever required,” he added.

Odisha has been reported less than 100 new cases for the past few months.