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L-G orders 5-day institutional quarantine for all patients as isolation isn’t possible in many homes, AAP govt says move will ‘harm’ Delhi because testing will drop and cases will soar

- Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu and Gulam Jeelani

All coronavirus patients will have to be in five-day mandatory institutional quarantine, Lieutenant Governor, Anil Baijal said in an order issued on Friday evening. The new rules will discontinue Aam Aadmi Party government’s home isolation norms for asymptomatic patients and patients with mild symptoms.

“Five days institutional quarantine of each case under home quarantine is to be made mandatory and thereafter will be sent for home isolation except in cases where symptoms require further hospitalisation,” Baijal said in an order issued as chairperson of Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is the vice-chairperson of DDMA.

Sources said Home Minister Amit Shah was very categorical in his recent high-level meeting regarding Covid-19 situation in Delhi but did not set a timeline for new quarantine infrastructure to be ready.

Shah has since Sunday taken charge of Delhi into his hands after the Supreme Court came down hard on Delhi government for mishandling situation arising due to spike in coronavirus cases.