Aradi: More than 400 quarantine inmates were allowed to go home Monday in Bhadrak district without COVID-19 tests being conducted on them. Their return has caused fear and apprehension among the residents of villages they belong to.
The quarantine period which was for 21 days has now been reduced to 14 days in rural areas. The time span includes seven days of intuitional quarantine and seven days of home isolation.
Due to the relaxation of, rules more than 400 inmates of different quarantine centres in Bhadrak district were released. Among them 75 are from the Sundarpur quarantine centre, 38 from Aradi, 48 from Olaga, 78 from Nandapur, 50 from Palasahi, 56 from Raipur and 68 from Shyamsundarpur. All of them have been asked to stay in home isolation after reaching their respective villages.
However, those released are not happy as COVID-19 tests have not been conducted on them. “We are now in quarantine. However, we don’t know whether we are free from the infection or not,” some of them said. Their family members and neighbours also expressed the same concern. Villagers demanded COVID-19 tests be done within seven days on those who have been freed from quarantine centres. Otherwise they fear community transmission.
PNN