Home quarantine is ideal model for COVID-19, govt has limited facilities: Mamata Banerjee

UPDATE TO THE STORY: An order by the Health Department later said they are referring to the primary and secondary contacts of the Covid-19 patient for home quarantine.

Mamata Banerjee said there's is a limit on the part of the government as it cannot provide "quarantine facilities to lakhs of people."

"We have decided that people who have proper houses can opt for self-isolation at home. This will reduce the government's pressure on providing quarantine facilities to a huge number of people," Banerjee said addressing the daily press conference on the Coronavirus situation at Nabanna.

"Such people will get treatment at home. The government can make provision at the quarantine centre for those who do have scope for self-isolation being a part a huge family," she said.

Banerjee noted that people stay more comfortably at home since that takes away the 'psychological tension.'

"However, those opting for self-quarantine should inform us so that we can provide all necessary treatments and guidelines from time to time," she added.

Questioning the central government's move to tackle the pandemic Coronavirus, Banerjee also said the lockdown and relaxations can't function simultaneously.

In her daily briefing at state headquarters Nabanna here, Banerjee said, "One one hand the central government is saying the lockdown should be stricter, on the other hand they are in favour of opening of shops... There is a lack of clarity between what the Centre is saying and doing," and added, "I am in favour of the complete lockdown as per Centre's directions."

Banerjee, who was present in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with several Chief Ministers on Monday, said he felt the central government will carry on with the lockdown for a longer time.