New Delhi, April 18:
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has directed all residents of the national capital, who attended the Kumbh Mela in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar from April 4 to April 17, to go for compulsory home quarantine for 14 days and upload their details in the Delhi government website. In a late night order on Saturday, the authority said those planning to go for Kumbh Mela any time between April 18 and April 30 must also compulsorily upload their basic information so that they can be tracked on arrival. The authority also said if anyone violates the directive, they will face legal action.
“… it has become imperative to mandatorily test, trace and quarantine all those residents of Delhi, who have visited or are going to visit Kumbh-2021 at Haridwar. All those residents of Delhi, who have visited or are going to visit Kumbh, will be required to compulsory home quarantine themselves for 14 days on arrival to Delhi,” the order issued by chief secretary Vijay Dev said.
Those returning from the Mahakumbh will have to upload their details within 24 hours by Sunday midnight on the Delhi government website www.delhi.gov.in.
“If it is found/reported that any such resident of Delhi, who has returned to Delhi after visiting Kumbh, has not uploaded the requisite details/information, he/she will be sent to the institutional government quarantine centers, as the case may be. The District magistrate of Delhi will ensure tracing and surveillance on a daily basis of such residents of Delhi. They should also ensure quarantining of such residents of Delhi, either at home or government quarantine centers. All district magistrates of Delhi and their counterpart DCPs and all authorities concerned should ensure strict compliance of this order,” it added.
The Delhi government, in addition to asking travellers to the Kumbh Mela to voluntarily submit their information, said it is also in touch with authorities in Uttarakhand so that they can have access to a list of all Delhi residents who have visited the Kumbh festival so far.
Experts have raised concerns that the religious gathering will turn into a super spreader event as devotees taking part in ‘royal baths’ (shahi snan) held at Kumbh on April 12 and 14 were seen flouting all Covid-19 norms and at least 2,000 people tested positive in for the coronavirus about a week’s time.
Delhi on Saturday reported the highest single-day spike in its daily coronavirus disease (Covid-19) tally with 24,375 new cases in the last 24 hours, according to the health department’s bulletin. The new Covid-19 cases have taken the Capital’s caseload to nearly 828,000. The death toll in the national capital is nearing 12,000 after 167 succumbed to the disease, it added.
