Finally, Goan seafarers head back home finishing their 14 day quarantine at Ginger Hotel Panaji

Around 61 Goan seafarers quarantined at Ginger hotel in Panaji has finally left for their homes following the completion of the 14 days institutional quarantine period. They have been asked to continue the home quarantine for the next 14 days with the quarantine stamps on their hands.

According to the reports, health workers will keep monitoring their home quarantine for the next 14 days. “They have completed the 14-day institutional quarantine period and will be placed under another 14-day home quarantine,” COVID-19 nodal officer Dr Utkarsh Bethodkar told Herald. Bethodkar has urged people not to discriminate against them.

According to the sources, all the seafarers had to make their own arrangements to get back home as Government did not make any such provision for them.

It may be recalled that 61 seafarers were sent into 14 days institutional paid quarantine at Hotel Ginger situated at Patto in Panaji. The associations for seafarers asked the question why “paid quarantine” has been made mandatory for the Goan seafarers, when it is not applied to others entering in Goa.

According to the reports, every day Goa sees at least 50 entries through its borders who are tested for Covid-19 and later sent to free institutional quarantine till the test results arrive, and later to home quarantine if they test negative.

But in the case of Goan Seafarers, they had to undergo a mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine even if their tests come negative, with their agents and companies having to pay for the hotel stay.

All the 61 seafarers were sent into paid institutional quarantine despite all their tests have come negative. They disembarked in Mumbai port and were brought to Goa in a bus after which they were tested together. With Goa now a green zone, health minister Vishwajit Rane stressed that this stringent measure was needed. “If we do not take precautions now, there is a possibility that we may be pushed from the green zone to an orange or red zone.”