Now, women, senior citizens exempted from institutional quarantine

Guwahati: The department of health and family welfare of the government of Assam has made a “partial modification” of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for persons who are traveling back to Assam.

As per the revised SOP, any woman who has traveled alone to Assam by flight or by a train does not need to undergo institutional quarantine, provided she is asymptomatic. However, she will have to undergo 14 days’ home quarantine after the compliance of certain health protocols, which include collection of swab samples for COVID-19 test, hand stamping, conversion of residence into a containment zone, etc.

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Additionally, any senior citizen who is above 60 years of age and has traveled back to Assam via flight need not undergo institutional quarantine. The rules of being asymptomatic and compliance to health protocols are also applicable in this case, along with 14 days of home quarantine. However, exemption of institutional quarantine in the case of senior citizens is not applicable for travel via bus or train.

However, both the exemptions from institution quarantine will not be applicable if the bus or train in which the person has travelled has been found to have a high incidence of COVID-19 positive cases or has been contaminated in some way, the SOP added.

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