A revised standard operating procedure (SOP) for COVID-19 screening and management for the Indian Army, Central Armed Police Forces, National Disaster Response Force and Border Roads Organization has been decided in Arunachal Pradesh.

The decision to revise the SOP came during a meeting held here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Friday.

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During the meeting, the COVID-19 management and screening strategy of the state with respect to the armed and paramilitary forces were discussed at length.

According to the new SOP, the forces will have their own quarantine facilities and conduct rapid antigen tests of all returnees as per the protocol developed by the state’s health department and Indian Council of Medical Research in this regard.

Further, all the armed forces will appoint nodal officers for Arunachal Pradesh for on-ground coordination with the commissioner (home) who is the nodal officer of the state government and the district level nodal officers shall be appointed for the purpose.

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The Arunachal state government has assured to extend all support and facilitate testing of all returnees of the forces by rapid antigen and RT-PCR/True Nat Test and offered to give training to the medical team of the forces for conducting the medical screening.

Khandu, in his address, lauded the team spirit and camaraderie between civil administration and the forces and offered full support from the state government.

Among others, the virtual meeting was attended by health minister Alo Libang, chief secretary N Kumar, Commanders of 3 and 4 Corp, additional director general of ITBP and BRO, NDRF director-general and CRPF inspector general.

As per officials, over 200 personnel of security forces have tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh.

 

Damien Lepcha is Northeast Now Correspondent in Arunachal Pradesh. He can be reached at: [email protected]