Int'l passengers testing COVID +ve in Delhi to isolate at designated hotels, care centres

New Delhi: Delhi government on Thursday said that international passengers who test positive for Covid-19 can be sent to both paid or free designated isolation facilities. The development comes as the Kejriwal-led government set up 350 isolation beds in the national capital for international travellers, their contacts arriving in the city, as well as Omicron cases.

The order was released in compliance of guidelines for international arrivals issued by the Health Ministry.

The isolation facilities have been organised at four places, including the Commonwealth Games village in Akshardham (50 beds), Terapanth Bhawan (100 beds), Sardar Patel COVID Care Centre (100 beds) and Ibis hotel (100 beds), according to an official order.

The facilities will be linked to hospitals to look after patients, the health department said in the order.

The 50 beds at the Commonwealth village facility will be scaled up to 500, the order further noted.

The order has been issued in compliance of guidelines for international arrivals issued by the Health Ministry and the linked hospitals will ensure proper monitoring and adequate supply of logistics to the isolation centres, it stated.

The Health Ministry had on November 30 mandated that passengers who are found to be symptomatic during screening at the Indira Gandhi International airport will be immediately isolated and taken to a medical facility. If tested positive, their contacts will be identified and managed as per laid down protocols.

Meanwhile, travellers from 'at risk' countries are being tested at the point of arrival and for those who test positive, the samples are being sent for genomic testing.

Such passengers will be managed at separate isolation facilities and treated as per laid down standard protocol, including contact-tracing, according to the guidelines.

Delhi witnessed a significant jump in its single-day Covid-19 cases with as many as 1,313 infections, according to the health bulletin data this evening. 

This is the biggest jump in daily caseload since May 26 when 1,491 cases were recorded. The Omicron tally in the national capital stands at 263 as per the latest available data.