Think COVID free and it is New Zealand and Australia that come to mind. However, not many are aware that India has its own safe haven that has registered zero number of cases in all these months.
As the year turns to 2021, India’s Lakshadweep is the union territory that boasts of zero cases. Even as India’s COVID cases reach the 1 crore mark, Lakshadweep remains safe and secure. It is timely response of the authorities and timely quarantine that have helped the group of 10 islands that are inhabited to be corona free.
For starters, only islanders who total to 64,473 people are allowed to move between the islands and to Kochi for emergencies. On the other hand, people from across India are not allowed to travel to the islands, to safeguard the islanders from getting infected.
The schools are up and running and there is no compulsion on the islands to either wear masks or maintain social distancing. Also, unlike in rest of India, there are no limits on the number of people that can gather for weddings or funerals.
The group of islands have come up with a strict protocol to prevent any chance infection. If any islander goes to the mainland, then they must quarantine themselves at Kochi before going home. Following which a test is conducted on the seventh day and if the islanders test negative then they are allowed to return home.
Once again, after reaching their island, they have to home quarantine for five days. However, if they test positive during the journey to mainland or on return, then they must take treatment in Kochi and return only when tested negative.