The Srinagar administration is tracking down local travellers hiding their overseas travel history, especially to COVID-19 -hit countries such as Italy and the United States, to escape any screening and the required quarantine.
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“Four passengers on Sunday reached from Mauritius, Dubai and Kazakhstan but declined to declare travel history. A girl coming from the U.S. posed as a student returning from Bangladesh. Insisting on the passport while allotting room, it was found she has travel history of the U..S, where the third highest COVID-19 cases in the world is found,” said Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Shahid Choudhary, who is spearheading the government’s efforts to contain any spread of COVID-19 in the Valley.
He said a man coming from the most COVID-19 affected country, Italy, reached New Delhi and made an attempt to escape screening before entering J&K. “He took a train to Jammu and a cab to home in Srinagar just to hide the travel history. He has been traced,” he said.
The Srinagar administration has launched a crackdown in the past 24 hours against travellers who are hiding symptoms and avoiding the necessary quarantine. “It needs a collective focus to handle it. Things are not that simple as they appear from homes and office rooms. It’s like World War III,” Dr. Choudhary said.
The crackdown comes amid reports of students forging their identity cards before arriving at the Srinagar airport to escape screening, which is a must for overseas travellers.
“Two brothers studied in a medical college in Bangladesh. One travelled by air and declared travel history and was quarantined. Another took the road and reached home. It was a smart neighbour who informed the control room. He is, in fact, symptomatic,” said Dr. Choudhary.
He has warned that those hiding travel history may face jail as per the National Disaster Act. The J&K administration has approached the Immigration Bureaus of all international airports to secure details of travel history of the locals who are travelling back to J&K from different countries.
1,166 quarantined
Multiple screening centres have been established at the Srinagar airport and on the Srinagar-Jammu National highway at Zigmorh in Kulgam, Lower Munda in Qazigund and Dooru-Verinag.
According to the official figures, 1,166 travellers, mostly students, have been quarantined on arrival in the past four days in Srinagar. The administration is in the process of procuring the premises of 65 hotels and government accommodations to be used as quarantine facilities for citizens arriving in Srinagar from other countries.
“The quarantine exercise is for their personal safety and that of their dear ones among others,” said Dr. Choudhary.
