Travelling amid COVID-19 has become essential for many individuals to get to their home and for other important work. Hence, Indian Railways has started its train services by following strict guidelines and precautions to ensure safe travel while avoiding the spread of coronavirus.[br]If you are travelling by train, you must be aware of the quarantine rules for railway passengers. Train travel is a crowded means of transport in India. Thus, proper precautions are taken by the government and travellers to minimize the risk of coronavirus from passengers arriving from different states.[br]Passengers are advised to carry their food in trains. They would need to wait for railway e-catering services to resume, and to [b] order food in train[/b] online using railway catering service providers such as [b]RailMitra[/b].[br]Every state has made its important quarantine protocols for travellers. Only asymptotic individuals are allowed to board the train. Testing will be done for symptomatic passengers, and the individuals will be quarantined. A passenger with mild symptoms has to follow self-quarantine protocols.[br][b]RailMitra app[/b] can be used to make your train travel hassle-free amid COVID-19. It provides services like check PNR status, train time table, train running status, and you can also order food on the train. It will follow the strict protocols to ensure contactless food delivery in train and offer hygienic food.Passengers arriving from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Chennai have to spend seven days in institutional quarantines and next seven days in home quarantine.[br][b]Guidelines and quarantine rules for railway passengers[/b][br][img]https://d1lx3ohi20yyaq.cloudfront.net/file/attachment/2020/07/20b2fcca369bbbdb686bf521b713494e_view.png[/img][br]The crucial guidelines and quarantine rules given by the Railway Ministry are:[br]● Fourteen days home quarantine is made mandatory for all train passengers.[br]● Seven to fourteen days institutional quarantine is compulsory for passengers arriving from high-risk states like Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chennai.[br]● Every passenger should have the Aarogya Setu app installed on their mobile devices.[br]● A business person who wants to travel in a different state for a day or two does not have to follow quarantine protocol if they show a negative COVID-19 certificate.[br]● COVID-19 precautionary measures announcement is to be strictly followed by all train passengers.[br]● Passengers have to undergo thermal screening at the point of departure, and only asymptomatic passengers are allowed to board the train.[br]● The use of face covers/masks is mandatory by all passengers during boarding and travel.[br]● Passengers have to follow hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene and maintain environmental cleanliness.[br]● The Government officials and medical professionals will not be quarantined if they show a negative COVID-19 certificate issued by an ICMR-recognized laboratory within three days before their journey.[br]● Passengers who are above 60 or below 10 years of age, and pregnant women will have to spend the entire fourteen days in home quarantine.[br]● Asymptomatic passengers will be permitted to self-monitor their health for 14 days. The information should be given to the district surveillance officer or the state/national call centres (1075) in case they develop any symptoms.[br]● Those found symptomatic due to COVID-19 will be kept in isolation at the nearest health facility. The health facility will assess the clinical severity of coronavirus in the individual.[br]● Passengers having moderate or severe symptoms will be admitted to dedicated COVID health facilities, and managed accordingly.[br]● Passengers having mild symptoms will be kept in home isolation or in the COVID Care Centre whichever seems appropriate, and tested as per ICMR protocol. If found positive, they will continue to stay at the COVID Care Centre. They will be managed as per clinical protocols. If the test is negative, the passengers are allowed to go home, practice self-isolation, and monitor their health for further seven days. In case any symptoms develop, they shall inform the district surveillance officer or the state/national call centre (1075).[br]Apart from these protocols, different states have set different quarantine rules for railway passengers and travellers.[br][b]The home quarantine rules for railway passengers[/b][br][img]https://d1lx3ohi20yyaq.cloudfront.net/file/attachment/2020/07/6b97d1341ec80b7d9136375501bbe848_view.png[/img][br]The travellers should stay in a well-ventilated single room preferably, and use a separate toilet. If a family member needs to stay in the same place, they have to maintain a distance of at least one meter.[br]● The quarantined individual should stay away from older people, pregnant women, children and persons with comorbidities within the household.[br]● Restrict the movement of quarantined travellers within the house.[br]● The individual is restricted to attend any social or religious gathering, such as weddings and funerals.[br][b]The quarantined passengers should also follow these health measures at all times:[/b][br]● Wash hands with soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer regularly.[br]● Avoid sharing household items with quarantine individuals like drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, bedding, or other used items.[br]● Wear a surgical mask all the time. The used mask should be changed every six to eight hours.[br]● Masks used by patients, caregivers, or close contacts during home care should be disinfected using ordinary bleach solution (5%), or sodium hypochlorite solution (1%). Then it should be disposed of either by burning or through deep burial.[br]● If any symptoms of COVID-19 appear (cough/fever/difficulty in breathing), you should immediately contact the nearest health centre for help.[br][b]Have a safe travel![/b]
