Manipur health and family welfare minister L Jayentakumar Singh chaired a review meeting of the state AYUSH department in connection with present issues arising out of COVID-19 outbreak at the minister’s secretariat south block conference hall on Tuesday, official reports in Imphal said.

The meeting reportedly discussed to take up various precautionary measures by providing necessary manpower from the Ayush department to the government quarantine centres and other areas.

It also discussed to take up general public awareness programmes through information.education and communication and behavioral communication changes initiatives with more focus on elderly people and women.

The meeting was attended by the principal secretary (Health) V Vumlunmang, director (Ayush) Dr Y Lukhoi, member secretary Dr A Guneshwar Sharma of Manipur Ayush society and deputy secretary (Health) and other high level officials, it added.

Earlier, Jayentakumar had been appealing to the people to stay safe by taking various precautionary measures under the existing guidelines and rules to prevent from the dreaded disease.

Even though there is no report of new COVID-19 positive case after the two COVID-19 cases were discharged from the two government hospitals on April 12 and 21 respectively after recovery, the state authority continues to take up various measures across the state particularly at the important entry points and porous international border.

The district authorities of Tengnoupal and Churachandpur districts with the help of district police teams and additional state teams erected barb wire fencing at Moreh (Tengnoupal) and Pakmual (Churachandpur) sectors of the Indo-Myanmar international border in the past few days to control the unauthorized cross border movement.

Meanwhile, a total of 1,96,528 persons were screened by the state authorities at the various entry points of the State while 439 persons were tested for the dreaded disease, as per latest status update report on COVID-19 issued by state surveillance officer of Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme on Tuesday.

As on April 28, 99 people are staying at the state government quarantine while 324 have completed quarantine.