Now, quarantine period of doctors and health workers to be treated as "on duty"

Guwahati: In a move that is bound to bring smiles to the faces of many a health worker in the nation, the Union Health Ministry has asked each and every state to treat the quarantine period of doctors and other health workers as "on duty" during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lav Agarwal, the Joint Secretary in the health ministry, in a letter dashed off to the chief secretaries of the states and Union Territories, directors of all the AIIMS and directors and medical superintendents of central government hospitals, has said that the quarantine period of doctors and health workers for COVID-19 duties shall be treated as "on duty."

It was pointed out in the Supreme Court that in some cases, the doctors and health workers, who are quarantined, are being treated as "on leave", Agarwal said in the letter, dated August 6.

"The matter has since been considered by this Ministry in consultation with the Department of Personnel and Training and it has been decided that the quarantine period of doctors and health workers needs to be treated as "on duty", he added.

Agarwal further added that Those with high-risk exposure to the virus while performing COVID-19 related duties are required to undergo quarantine for a week, initially. "Thereafter, a decision shall be taken by the institution concerned on extending the quarantine period by one more week", the letter further added.

Agarwal stated that "this quarantine has been prescribed in the larger public interest "to stop the spread of the disease."

India Coronavirus Update: 

The nation recorded 53,601 new Covid-19 infections and 871 deaths in the 24 hours ending 9 am Tuesday.

This took the country's coronavirus tally to 22,68,676, the Union Health Ministry said. Of the 22,68,676 cases,

69.80 percent of the patients (15,83,490) had recovered, while 28.21 per cent (6,39,929) were still being treated.

With less than 2 percent deaths, fatalities in the country stand at 45,257.

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