COVID-19 positive patients should be 'mandatorily' brought to hospitals: WB Govt clarifies

"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.

Later, the health department clarified that the announcement does not apply to COVID-19 positive patients as it appeared from the words of the CM.

The Coronavirus positive patients are "mandatorily to be brought to the designated COVID hospital," the statement read.

"It is hereby advised that form now on, the primary/secondary contracts of COVID positive and who have reasonable living/physical spaces in their homes, may be put under home quarantine instead of institutional quarantine," the government advisory said.

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

"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 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.

The announcement thereby created a lot of confusion among people with some raising doubts if it was safe enough for COVID-19 patients to be at home isolations.