Odisha Govt Releases SOPs For Migrants Returning From Abroad, Details You Must Know

Bhubaneswar: The Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradip Jena on Wednesday said that three flights carrying mostly Odia people stranded abroad are scheduled to arrive in Bhubaneswar from Dubai, US and Malaysia.

During a press briefing today, he said that such migrants’ returning to the State will have to abide by the health protocols and detailed the Special Operating Procedure (SOP).

Facilitating Return of People to Odisha from Foreign Countries

1. People intending to return to Odisha from foreign countries shall have to register themselves on the state portal- https//covid19.odisha.gov.in prior to their departure from the foreign country.
2. Electronics & IT Department shall utilise the existing ‘Outbound Call Centre’ to facilitate collection of relevant passenger information as per the list obtained from airlines and it will be send to the concerned Collectors/ Municipal Commissioners.
3. The Collector/ Municipal Commissioner will accordingly make necessary arrangement to communicate relevant information to the concerned Gram Panchayat Nodal Officer (GPNO)/ Ward Nodal Officer (WNO) for ensuring compliance of home quarantine/ paid quarantine protocols.

Arrangements at the Airport for the Returnees

1. Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner in coordination with the Airport Authority /CISF/ Odisha Police shall set up the required number of facilitation counter(s) at the Bhubaneswar Airport.
2. On landing at the airport, the passengers will de-plane in a regulated manner (20 passengers in a batch) and walk with their hand baggage to the facilitation counter(s) set up at an earmarked area outside the terminal building.
3. All passengers shall be stamped with indelible ink on their right inner forearm and thermally screened
4. The symptomatic passengers will be segregated and sent to an isolation bay for completing their immigration formalities and shifted to the institutional facility for testing and quarantine by District/ Municipal authorities.
5. The airline ground handling staff will collect the check-in baggage of such passengers from the conveyor and load in the dedicated vehicle/ ambulance.

6 (i). Asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to proceed to the immigration in the terminal building and, after immigration, they will be allowed to proceed to their home or paid quarantine facility on their own arrangement

(ii) Such passengers will be required to give an undertaking to remain in home/ paid quarantine facility and follow the protocols for a period of 28 days.

(iii) Hand baggage and Check-in luggage of the passengers shall be sprinkled with disinfectant spray by the Health/ Municipal Corporation/ Fire Service personnel.

Transport Arrangement for the Passengers

1. Movement of passengers and drivers of the vehicles from the airport shall be allowed on the basis of boarding pass.
2. Operation of cab aggregators like Ola and Uber will be allowed for the purpose. CRUT may operate limited services from airport for convenience of passengers, with valid boarding pass.

Quarantine Monitoring of the Returnees

1. Outbound Call Centre shall monitor the passengers in paid quarantine through phone calls to ensure that such persons abide by quarantine protocols for a period of 28 days from the date of arrival in Odisha.

2(i). GPNO/ WNO shall affix Home Quarantine sticker on the houses of the returnees in case of home quarantine.

(ii) If the house is found to be unsuitable for home quarantine, GPNO/ WNO may order for institutional quarantine.

3. GPNO/ WNO will regularly check/ monitor the returnees in home quarantine and ensure that such persons abide by quarantine protocols for a period of 28 days from the date of arrival in Odisha.
4. In case, the person manifests any symptom during home quarantine, he/ she shall inform 104 Helpline and thereafter, if necessary, he/ she will be transferred to the Covid Care Centre/ Covid-19 Hospital and further steps shall be taken as per protocols prescribed by the State Health Department.
5. In case of violation of the quarantine guidelines and norms of social distancing, the GPNO/ WNO shall report the matter to the Collector/ Municipal Commissioner for initiating necessary legal action against the person concerned.