The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in the order issued on April 29, 2020; has allowed the inter-state movement of migrant workers, students, tourists etc. The order states that due to the nation-wide lockdown, to prevent the spread of COVID-19; at different places, many migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other people left stranded. Now they can move to their native places.
Guidelines Given in The Order by MHA
However, the order contains certain guidelines under which the movement of stranded people will be allowed. These guidelines are as follows:
- All states/UTs, should designate nodal authorities and develop standard protocols for receiving and sending such stranded persons. The nodal authorities shall also register the stranded people withing their states/UTs.
- In case of a group of stranded people willing to move between one state/UT to another state/UT, the sending and receiving states may consult each other and mutually agree to the movement by road.
- Screening of Moving person(s) at the departure and those found asymptomatic can proceed.
- Use of buses for the transport of groups of persons. There will be Sanitation of the buses and people shall follow safe social distancing norms in seating.
- The states/UTs falling on the transit routes will allow the passage of such persons to the receiving states/UTs.
- On the arrival at their destination, assessment of the people coming from the stranded places by the local health authorities and kept in-home quarantine, unless the assessment requires keeping the person(s) in institutional quarantine. The authorities will keep them under watch with periodic health check-ups.
The order also encourages such persons to use the Aarogya Setu app, to monitor and track their health status. Notably, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court to allow migrant workers across the country to go back to their homes amid the extended lockdown after being tested for coronavirus.
