Centre slams States for failing to monitor foreign returnees in wake of COVID-19 outbreak

CHENNAI:The Central government has raised concern over a few States not effectively monitoring those who returned from abroad and this could “jeopradise” the efforts to contain spread of COVID-19 . A letter by the Cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba dated March 26 to all Chief Secretaries of the states said that around 15 lakh incoming international passengers, who arrived in the country from January 18, 2020, should be monitored.

The letter read, “However, there appears to be a gap between the number of international passengers who needs to be monitored by the States/UTs and the actual number of passengers being monitored. This may seriously jeopardise our efforts to contain spread of COVID-19 given that many amongst the persons who have tested positive for COVID-19 so far in India have history of international travel.”

This comes in wake of Tamil Nadu government issuing a government order dated March 25 which said that international passengers arriving in the state from only from February 15, 2020 have to remain home quarantined.