COVID-19: Nagaland notifies regulations under Epidemic Act
DIMAPUR, MARCH 19 (MExN): The Government of Nagaland has notified the Nagaland Epidemic Disease (COVID-19) Regulations 2020 for the whole State. It was notified on March 18 and will be in force for a period of one year.
Under the regulations, it has been notified that all health facilities shall have a designated Flu/COVID-19 corners for screening of suspected cases of COVID-19.
It is mandatory for all health facilities to notify such person(s) to the concerned District Surveillance Unit along with duly filled up self declaration forms, who, within their knowledge, are having travel history of COVID-19 affected countries as per the extant guidelines and are having complaints of fever or cough or respiratory difficulty or even without any sign and symptoms of COVID-19.
In addition, the history of coming in contact with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID - 19 shall be recorded. In case the person has any such history in last 94 days and the person is symptomatic then the person must be kept in home/facility quarantine for 14 days from the day of exposure.
In case the person has any such history in last 14 days and the person is symptomatic, he/she will be tested for COVID-19 as per protocol.
Information of all such cases is to be given to Chief Medical Officer and Health Officer of the District immediately.
Further, the regulation states that no person, institution/organization will use any print or electronic media for information regarding COVID-19 without prior permission of the Health & Family Welfare Department, Nagaland. This is to avoid spread of any rumor or unauthenticated information regarding COVID-19. In case, any person/ institution/organization is found indulging in such activity, it will be treated as a punishable offence under these regulations.
Meanwhile, no private laboratories have been authorized to take or test samples for COVID-19 in the State of Nagaland. All such samples will be collected as per guidelines of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India and these will be sent to designated labs by the State Nodal Officer appointed by the Health & Family Welfare Department, Nagaland.
Any person with a history of travel in last 14 days to a country or area from where COVID-19 has been reported must report to nearest Government Hospital or call the helpline number: 7005415243/ 7005539653/ 9856071745, so that necessary measures/action if required may be intimated by Health & Family Welfare Department. All person with a history of travel to a country or area from where COVID-19 has been reported in last 14 days, but who do not have any symptoms of cough, fever, difficulty in breathing, should isolate themselves at home and cover their mouth and nose with a mask.
Such persons must take precautions to avoid contact with any persons including family members for 14 days from the date of arrival from such areas.
Authorized persons have the authority to to admit a person and isolate the person if required in case he/she has a history of visit to an area where COVID-19 is endemic and the concerned person is symptomatic. If a suspected case of COVID-19 refuses admission or isolation, the officers have powers to forcefully admit and isolate such case for a period of 14 days from the onset of symptoms or till the reports of lab tests are received, or such period as may be necessary.
If cases of COVID-19 are reported from a defined geographic area such as village, town, ward, colony or settlement, the Deputy Commissioner of the concerned district have the right to implement several containment measures in order to prevent the spread of the disease.
These include: sealing of the geographical area; barring entry and exit of population from the containment area; closure of schools, offices and banning public gatherings; banning vehicular movements in the area; initiating active and passive surveillance of COVID-19 cases; hospital isolation of all suspected cases; designating any government building as containment unit for isolation of the cases; have staff of all Government departments for containment measures etc.
“Any person/institution/organization found violating any clause of these regulations shall be deemed to have committed an offence punishable under section 188 of Indian Penal Code 1860 (45 of 1860),” the notice cautioned.
The regulations further offer protection to persons acting under the Act against suit or legal proceedings for anything done or intended to be done in good faith under the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897, unless proved otherwise.
