From flights, trains straight to quarantine centres — how Assam screens passengers for Covid

Assam is following a rigorous screening and testing process under which passengers coming into the state have to be quarantined even if they test negative.

Lab technicians in the screening centre at the Kiranshree Grand Hotel in Guwahati take a breather. The centre has been screening about 500 passengers daily | Photo: Angana Chakrabarti | ThePrint

Guwahati: Last month, the Assam government launched a massive screening exercise to prevent Covid-19 from spreading through those coming into the state by air, rail or road. As of 18 June, the state had screened 2,90,625‬ people, barring passengers coming in from Sikkim via road.

When someone comes into the state, they are thoroughly screened, their temperature is checked, they are asked if they’re suffering from any Covid-19 symptoms and their swabs are collected.

They are then sent to hotels to be quarantined until their test results return. If they test negative for coronavirus, they have to spend 11 days in compulsory home quarantine. Those who test positive are sent to hospitals.

ThePrint’s journalist Angana Chakrabarti followed the screening process right from the railway station to one of the zonal screening facilities that has been set up at Kiranshree Grand Hotel to see what happens.

A surveillance worker at Guwahati Railway Station checks the body temperature of a policeman. Only those with a body temperature below 96 degrees Celsius are allowed to pass through | Angana Chakrabarti | ThePrint

Passengers coming in on flights are taken to screening centres like this one at Kiranshree Grand Hotel. They are then asked to fill out forms with their details, including their residential address and comorbidities, if any | Angana Chakrabarti | ThePrint

Lab technicians collect swabs from passengers at the zonal screening centre set up at Kiranshree Grand Hotel near the Guwahati airport | Angana Chakrabarti | ThePrint

Policemen have been deployed at Guwahati Railway Station to ensure that social distancing is maintained between passengers while officials gather their details. Passengers are then sent to one of five zonal screening facilities set up across the state | Angana Chakrabarti | ThePrint

Assam has adopted a strict screening and testing policy after the interstate travel restrictions were lifted. There are testing centres at the airport, railway station and other points | Angana Chakrabarti | ThePrint