Assam Government reduces quarantine period for incoming passengers to 10 days

Guwahati: The Government of Assam on Wednesday, June 29, has decided to reduce the quarantine period for passengers arriving from outside the state.

According to the government order issued by the state health department, the period of quarantine has been reduced from 14 days to 10 days.

"In view of new developments, it is hereby decided that period of quarantine for passengers arriving from outside the state is reduced from 14 days to a total period of 10 days, inclusive of days spent in institutional/hotel quarantine as well as home quarantine", Samir K. Sinha, the Principal Secretary to the Government of Assam, Health and Family Welfare, said in a statement.

"For instance, if a passenger spends initial 2 days in a hotel/institutional quarantine", Sinha said, "then he/she shall have to spend the remaining duration of 8 days in home quarantine."

"However, if the RT-PCR test result of such passengers turns out positive in the interim, steps will be taken as per standard procedure", he added.

This comes days after the Assam government decided to reduce the home quarantine period even as the Covid-19 positive cases have continued to rise at a steady and alarming rate.

According to the government order issued by the state health department, the period of home quarantine has been reduced from 14 days to 7 days.

On the other hand, the state government has also decided that it will only provide essential items worth Rs 2,000 to the quarantined families living under Below Poverty Line (BPL) "if deemed necessary to mitigate hardship."

"Deputy Commissioners are authorized to extend this benefit to other families like elderly, ailing, divyang etc, if deemed necessary to mitigate hardship," said Sinha's order.

Meanwhile, Assam has recorded 34,947 positive cases of the COVID-19 out of which, 25,402 patients have recovered and 9,454 cases are active. The death toll has mounted to 88.

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