Returnees from abroad, suspect or confirmed cases of COVID-19 or their contacts coming from outside India may opt for paid facilities such as hotels, service apartments and lodges for self-quarantine or isolation if they do not have requisite space at home, the Union Health ministry said on Thursday.
In the ‘Additional guidelines for quarantine of returneesfrom abroad/contacts/ isolation of suspect or confirmed cases in privatefacilities’, released on Thursday evening, the ministry said there are largenumber of facilities such as hotels, service apartments and lodges which are”unoccupied due to impact of COVID-19 on travel and tourism”.
“There are also instances where people who don’t haverequisite space at home may opt for such facilities,” the ministry said.
This is likely to reduce the pressure on the family, givecomfort to the person, and protect the family members and immediateneighbourhood, it stated.
The guidelines were issued after the government initiatedthe process of bringing back stranded Indians from a few countries.
According to the standard operating procedures, thequarantine and isolation facility will not co-exist and these facilities willoffer single room on pay basis to contacts or cases with attached washrooms.Thetariff for the accommodation and services shall be fixed by the facility inconsultation with the state government and widely publicised.