The Arunachal Pradesh government on Saturday announced to convert the BPL housing complex at Lekhi, into a state quarantine centre.
The BPL housing complex is located around 17 km from Itanagar.
The decision was taken so as to strengthen the institutional quarantine facilities in the capital region.
“The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Pema Khandu on Friday,” said home minister Bamang Felix.
“The BPL complex has 590 independent rooms with attached laboratory facilities,” Felix further said.
“Education minister Taba Tedir has been entrusted to oversee the implementation of the quarantine centre and make it functional within 10 days,” he added.
Felix said that the state returnees who would be kept in the said quarantine centre would be segregated on the basis of green, orange and red zones they come from.
He added that the present quarantine centre at the Police Training Centre in Banderdewa would continue to function while the government is also trying to increase the number of paid quarantine centres in the capital and the Itanagar Capital Region deputy commissioner and superintendent of police have been entrusted for the same.
The minister further said that the state cabinet has also decided made institutional quarantine for a period of 14 days mandatory for people returning to Arunachal Pradesh from across the country.
Besides this, the cabinet has decided to make reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for detection of Covid-19 compulsory for the returnees, including the asymptomatic ones, Felix said.
On account of certain bottlenecks being faced in the quarantine facility established at PTC, the cabinet has decided to appoint Papum Pare deputy commissioner Pige Ligu as the in-charge of PTC Quarantine Centre.
He shall be stationed at Banderdewa to overlook the entire arrangements said the home minister.
In regards to the evacuation of stranded persons from the northeast region to the state, Felix said the government would continue to do so till May 14.
The decision to bring those who are stranded on other parts of the country would be taken post lockdown 3.0, he said.
For those sneaking inside the state from non designated route and not following the standard operating procedures or informing the administration, Felix said such individuals, if any would be strictly dealt with as per the laid down rule of law.
The cabinet on Friday also reviewed the status of the movement of goods vehicles, convoys, medical and emergency vehicles from Hollongi, Banderdewa and Gumto check gates to the state capital.