With the efforts of the state government and active support of the people, Himachal Pradesh can be made Corona Free State, therefore it is necessary to keep a close vigil on every person coming to the state.
As many as 32,361 beds have been made available for quarantining in 683 quarantine centers operated under COVID-19 in the state by Himachal Pradesh Government. In these quarantine centers, 253 doctors and 287 paramedical staff have been deployed. Apart from this, about 1000 beds are available in the state for isolation.
So far, about five and a half thousand people have been registered in these quarantine centers. There is proper accommodation for the people who have been quarantined and they are being provided good quality food. Officers and employees of Quarantine centres are serving as Corona Warriors. Besides, other material are also being made available to the quarantined persons in the quarantine centers as per the norms of the State Government.
Due to the vigilance of the State Government, 180 Tabligi Jamaat people who returned after participating in the program organized at Delhi in the beginning of March month were identified and contact mapping of 1107 were done and quarantined.
People of Himachal Pradesh living in other states were registered for returning to Himachal through government-issued helpline number and portal, most of them have been brought back. As it is difficult to detect infected person through screening thus the Deputy Commissioner of the concerned district were sending them to their home only after keeping persons arriving from outside the State under home quarantine or institutional quarantine. Himachalis and immigrant workers arriving from outside the state are being strictly adhered for the 14-days quarantine period, which is expected to help prevent possibility of community spread of coronavirus.
The State Government is urging people returning from outside states to give full details of their journey from time to time. People are being made aware of symptoms of the virus and to share the information with health workers in case symptoms were felt so that they can be treated in time and their family and society can be protected.
Apart from the state officials, representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies are also ensuring that people coming from other parts of the state were following the quarantine norms properly during home quarantine.
The COVID Quarantine App, has been developed for the COVID-19 suspect to monitor the violation of the Quarantine location. Coronamukt Himachal Mobile App (http://covid19.gov.in) is also a part of the same system, which is to be downloaded by the quarantined person It has the facility to lock the quarantine location so that it can alert in case of violation.
Giving importance to social concern, the government has helped about 1.5 lakh people to return to the state. The State Government has started a new program 'Nigaha' to educate the families of people coming from outside states to Himachal Pradesh. In this, apart from conducting proper health checkup of every person returning to the state, full details of his journey are being taken. Teams of ASHA workers, health workers and Anganwadi workers are going to the homes of the persons coming from outside states to educate their families about the importance of maintaining social distance.
Manoj Kumar, who is kept under home Quarantine Center Mashobra, says that the government is providing best facilities at the center. Similarly, Yogesh Sharma, residing at Quarantine Center Kunihar, thanked the government for the facilities being provided at this center.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said that any person coming from other state will have to follow the quarantine norms during the home or institutional quarantine period. In any case, other persons of the state will not be exposed to infection. People coming from Green or Orange Zone should also follow the Home Quarantine and maintain social distance with the people of their home also. The state government is ensuring all possible assistance is provided to the people of the state trapped in other parts of the country.