The West Bengal government on Monday said the primary and secondary contacts of Covid-19 patients may now quarantine themselves at home if they have space, instead of going to institutional quarantine facilities, ANI reported.

The government said the infected patients, however, must be brought to hospitals, unlike what Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee suggested earlier in the day. Banerjee had said that the state government would allow coronavirus patients with provisions to isolate themselves at home, according to ANI. “We have taken a decision, if a person is tested positive for Covid-19 and he has provision to isolate himself at his residence, the person can home quarantine himself,” she had said at a press conference. “Lakhs and lakhs of people can’t be quarantined, government has its own limit.”

The state health department’s clarification came hours later – but not before the Centre had issued its own guidelines allowing those with very mild or no symptoms to isolate themselves at home.

The state has more than 630 coronavirus cases and 20 deaths, according to the health ministry data.

Last week, the Centre’s inter-ministerial team had said there were major lapses on the part of the state government in implementing the lockdown and handling the disease outbreak. Doctors and health officials that Scroll.in spoke to had also pointed out the state’s low testing numbers.

Banerjee also accused the Narendra Modi government of making conflicting statements regarding the nationwide lockdown to rein in the coronavirus pandemic. “On one side they say lockdown should be strictly maintained. On other hand, they’re saying to open all shops,” she said. “What should we do? There is lack of clarity between what Central government is saying and their directives.”

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs had on April 24 issued an order allowing all shops in residential areas – except those in malls and shopping complexes – to reopen.

The chief minister said the Centre should consult states before issuing such orders. “I don’t have any problem with it but there must be some consultation,” the Trinamool Congress chief said. “They should have asked the position of states.”

The number of patients across India reached 28,380, including 886 deaths, on Friday evening. This marked an increase of 1,463 new cases and 60 deaths – the highest single-day jump ever – in the last 24 hours.

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