Health teams to man inter-state check posts

Amaravati: Chief minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy has directed the state administration to ready a comprehensive health protocol to handle the rush of people into the state post-lockdown.

He said that public safety and containment of spread of coronavirus should continue to be high on the state’s agenda. He directed the officials to take steps to track all those entering into the state by setting up health teams at all the 11 inter-state check-posts.

The chief minister held detailed discussions with the officials about the measures needed to be taken to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 once the inter-state public transport commences operations at the camp office on Sunday.

The CM asked the officials to provide transport and quarantining arrangements for the foreign returnees alighting at Hyderabad, Mumbai and Chennai airports. Although the officials have made arrangements for screening of foreign returnees at Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Tirupati airports, the chief minister has asked them to take similar measures to receive people coming to Chennai and Hyderabad airports.

He said that free transport should be provided from airports to the quarantine centres. He asked the officials to follow the quarantine protocols prescribed by the Centre. “While allowing home-quarantine for those tested negative is an option, no charges will be collected for those wanted to stay at the government quarantine facilities,” said the officials.

MT Krishnababu, Covid-19 task force chairman, said that no state government was providing the facilities for the migrant workers, students and foreign returnees coming to back to the state as provided by AP. He explained that they have taken measures to extend full support to the migrant workers leaving to their home state as per the CM’s instructions.

Health commissioner Katamaneni Bhaskar explained that they would track all those coming into the state from border point to their destination through an app. He said that their details would be immediately shared with the ANM, health workers, volunteers at their destination point to track their movements during the home quarantine.

He said that tracking teams would be deployed at all the 11 inter-state check-posts. The CM asked the officials to keep the home returnees and local health officials informed about the nearest Covid-19 hospital and contact information in case of emergency.

The chief minister directed the officials to see that all the shops-both essential and non-essential are allowed to open from 10am-7pm in green and orange zones.