All states and union territories (UTs) will have to “strictly follow” the home ministry’s latest guidelines allowing cross-country movement of stranded migrant workers, students and pilgrims during the ongoing lockdown, a senior official said on Thursday.
The federal government had on Wednesday issued fresh directives allowing states to transport stranded students, migrant labourers, tourists and pilgrims to their home states or destination by strictly following guidelines meant to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country.
Asked during a press briefing if special trains and private vehicles will also be allowed to transport these people as demanded by some states and others, joint secretary in the home ministry Punya Salila Srivastava said the orders issued at present were for “using buses and for group of persons”.
Asked if e-commerce activities will resume post May 3, when the extended lockdown is scheduled to end, Srivastava said “we should wait” for the new orders to come.
“State governments have to keep in mind certain things while arranging their movement. All states and UTs will appoint their nodal officers who will develop standard protocols for such stranded people.”
“They will also register such people and concerned states will discuss among themselves for ensuring these movements by road,” Srivastava told reporters during the routine briefing on updates related to the virus outbreak and lockdown measures.
Every person will be screened and asymptomatic ones will be allowed to go. Buses will be used for travel and these vehicles will be sanitised and social distancing rules will be strictly followed while seated in the bus, she said.
All states in transit route will allow such movement and on reaching the destination, local health officials will check the travellers and if they are not required to be kept in institutional quarantine then they will be allowed to go in home quarantine for 14 days, the official said, quoting the order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Their (travellers) health check-up will be done regularly and monitored. Travellers will be encouraged to use the ‘Aarogya setu’ app, she said.
“All states will have to strictly follow these directives,” Srivastava said.
