A group of Indian seafarers have approached the High Court of Bombay at Goa over quarantine rules, challenging the paid quarantine facility for the homecoming seafarers and additional quarantine period despite testing negative for COVID-19. 

The petitioners, in the plea filed on May 19, raised objections on the two aspects while seeking the court’s intervention for some relief in the quarantine rules for seafarers. 

Petitioners said, the seafarers are returning to Goa after having spent a quarantine period on board their vessels. “They are tested again and sent to institutional quarantine by the State government. Although they test negative, their quarantine continues. The employer company is forced to pay. In addition to this, the seafarers are later asked to undergo another 14 days home quarantine.”

The petitioners have sought to do away with the paid quarantine and to also discard home quarantine, if the seafarer (who is tested negative) has spent institutional quarantine which should be free of cost.