The Noida District Administration has decided to convert India’s first and only Formula One race track into a COVID-19 quarantine centre.
An order issued by Gautam Budh Nagar District Magistrate BN Singh indicated that the Budh International circuit part of the Jaypee Sports City will be used to set up a quarantine centre and also a place to provide facilities for those returning to their homes from Delhi.
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“As of now, we have identified the facility. We will figure out how many persons can be accommodated here on Monday. We are creating these facilities so that stranded migrants in Gautam Budh Nagar can use them till April 14, 2020,” an official of the Gautam Budh Nagar administration told news agency Hindustan Times.
In addition to this 20 other quarantine facilities are operational at the moment.
The Jaypee circuit was recently sealed after the promoters couldn’t pay a sum of Rs 600 crores in the form of liabilities.
“As per provisions under Chapter 12 of the Uttar Pradesh pandemic Covid-19 guidelines, 2020, we have decided to use Jaypee Sports City, along Yamuna Expressway, as shelter home to provide medical, food and residential accommodation to those, who are from Gautam Budh Nagar district or stuck without homes in our district,” said Singh.
District Information Officer Rakesh Chauhan said that an additional 28 shelter homes which can accommodate about 7,000 people are being identified and will be set up in the next few days.
The Union Ministry of Health on Monday said that the total number of cases in India has crossed over 1,000, even as the nation is in a state of lockdown for 21 days.