Ensure home quarantine of residents with travel history, Assam tells apartment societies

Guwahati, March 29 (PTI): The Assam government on Sunday asked apartment societies in the state to ensure home quarantine of residents who recently returned from novel coronavirus-affected places.

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority asked the management committees of the apartments to collect information on the health condition and travel history of the residents.

It also asked the committees to assist the persons placed under home isolation in buying essential commodities.

All necessary psycho-social support should be provided to them while maintaining infection control protocols, it said.

The management committees must also restrict any discriminatory practice that may hurt the self-esteem of the individual, the advisory said.

It also asked the apartment societies to limit the access of visitors inside the premises and allow them in only after taking their details including travel history.

Each apartment society shall enforce hand washing at the time of entry for visitors as well as residents, the advisory said.

It asked them to refrain from organising any community event requiring a gathering of more than five persons, ensure the closure of swimming pools, fitness centres and sanitise lift switches, handrails, gates and grills.

Home deliveries must be placed outside the premises and residents be asked to collect the items only after disinfecting those, the advisory said.

It directed the societies to ask the residents to give leave with pay to domestic workers who work in several houses.

Assam Police launches district-wise Covid-19 helplines

Assam Police on Sunday announced a series of helpline numbers across all districts, in addition to a central control room facility to address issues arising out of the prevalent situation.

For 34 districts and sub-divisions across the state, the Assam Police released a batch of landline, mobile, WhatsApp and toll-free numbers, besides that of the district disaster management authorities.

“To ensure uninterrupted services, the Government & Police have launched District & State Level Helpline Numbers.

Everyone is requested to kindly reach out to these numbers for any assistance. Together, we shall overcome,” the Assam Police tweeted.

The WhatsApp number of the state-level central control room is 9435215029, it added.

The central helpline numbers of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority are 1077, 1079 and 1070.

Markets, offices and other commercial establishments were mostly shut and vehicles remained off the roads across Assam on Sunday, the fifth day of the nation-wide lockdown imposed to check the spread of the coronavirus.

However, at many places people defied the lockdown and ventured out of their homes, prompting the police to use force.

Apart from baton charging, police resorted to making the violators do squatting, frog jumping, push-ups and other forms of physical exercises on the roads.

At several places, police distributed rice, vegetables, medicines and other essentials among the needy people.