Coronavirus / Delhi govt makes 14-day home quarantine compulsory for Kumbh Mela returnees

New Delhi: In a significant decision, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has directed all Kumbh Mela returnees to the national capital to home quarantine for 14-days. The residents of Delhi who have visited the Kumbh at Haridwar from April 4 till date have also been asked to upload their details in the Delhi government website and if anyone violates the directive, the person will face legal action, said the official order.

The official order stated that all Delhi residents, who visited Haridwar’s Kumbh from April 4 till today or will be travelling today up till April 30, are required to upload requisite details/ information (viz name, address in Delhi, contact no., ID proof, date of departure from Delhi and arrival here) on the link at Delhi govt portal www.delhi.gov.in compulsorily.

“If it is found/ reported that any such resident of Delhi who has returned to Delhi after visiting Kumbh-2021, has not uploaded the requisite details/information, he/she shall be sent to the Institutional Government Quarantine Centre for 14 days by the District Magistrate concerned, ” the order added.

The order has been issued in order to prevent further transmission of covid-19 virus and for effective covid-19 management, after over 2,000 people tested positive for COVID-19 at the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar. Meanwhile, Delhi has recorded around 24,000 COVID-19 cases on Saturday, the highest single-day spike in the national capital till date, according to data shared by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. On Thursday and Friday, the city had recorded 16,699 and 17,282 cases respectively.

The ongoing Kumbh Mela has been at the centre of controversy amid fears that it could be a super spreader event, with lakhs of devotees openly violating covid protocol including wearing of masks and social distancing while attending it as the second wave of the coronavirus surges uncontrollably. However, officials have said that despite a record surge in COVID-19 cases in the country, the Kumbh will continue till April 30.