Prove you're indoors with selfie: Delhi govt to ask home-quarantined people

The Delhi government will ask people quarantined in home to send their selfies through a mobile application, saying it's a "helpful move" to contain the coronavirus. 

A government official told PTI that all district magistrates (DMs) have been directed to ask the people in home quarantine to download the designated app in their mobile phones, a step aimed at tracking their movement. According to the official, it was observed that some people, who have been put under home quarantine by the government, were not following the rules.

"This app will be very helpful in tracking the movement of home-quarantined people. "If the district administration has a doubt about the movement of a home-quarantined person, he or she will be asked to take a selfie at home and send it to the control room through the app," he said.

All DMs have been asked to adopt the technology in their respective districts to track the movement of home-quarantined people, another official said. "We have received directions from the government. The mobile application will be used in those areas which have been declared containment zones by the district administration. The trial run of the app has started," he said.

Kins of an allegedly suspected Covid-19 patient are being transferred to a hospital during the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus in Vijayawada. Photo: PTI

According to police, 250 FIRs were registered till April 6 against those found violating the home-quarantine guidelines. The violators have been booked under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act.

The number of coronavirus cases climbed to 1,578 in the national capital on Wednesday, with 17 fresh cases and two deaths reported in 24 hours, according to Delhi government authorities. The death toll due to COVID-19 now stands at 32 in Delhi.

The state government has identified over 40 containment zones across Delhi and massive drive is underway to sanitise the areas as lockdown has been extended till May 3.