Parents of women foreign returnees in UT raise issue of safety in quarantine facilities

Jaspreet Singh, an advocate and father of a 25-year-old who was to return from Canada, said, “We are apprehensive about the safety and security of our daughters or single women who are returning.

The administration should understand that we are anguished parents whose children want to come home from foreign countries in these difficult times.

We are aggrieved by the unjust and unfair policy of the Chandigarh Administration whereby our children will be quarantined in hotels. Why should they be quarantined in hotels when they have their own homes?”

He added, “We are also apprehensive about the hygiene of the hotel staff.”

Singh said that his daughter was to come on May 18 but she has put it on hold after she got to know that she won’t be able to go home for fourteen days, which is the mandatory quarantine period.

Another parent said that they appealed to the Administrator and Adviser of Chandigarh Administration to “take a humane approach and facilitate the homecoming of their loved ones rather act as a deterrent.”

He said, “We are ready to abide by any conditions they lay for home quarantine.”

The families pointed out that any person landing in the country will already have installed the Arogya Setu app and be checked multiple time for any symptoms of Covid-19. “If they have no symptoms then why should they be quarantined in a hotel or hospital. In-fact the best place to be quarantined is at their home,” said Singh.

UT Principal Secretary Home Arun Gupta said that the policy of quarantining foreign returnees at hotels or other places is for people from all parts of the country and not just Chandigarh. Asked if the Centre has been approached for permitting home quarantine, Gupta said, “No. The guidelines are same for the whole country.”

“I feel foreign returnees should be home quarantined instead of being sent to hotels, subject to availability of isolation space in such houses including steps to address safety concerns of neighbours. This will help address anxieties of returnees’ families as well as concerns of residents living near designated quarantine hotels,” said Mahesh Inder Sidhu, a BJP councillor from the area.