Meghalaya government has issued a separate protocol ministers and officials of the state who went out of the state.
The protocol was issued by the state health department on Tuesday.
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“As per the protocol, it is mandatory for ministers and officials to do the RT-PCR test outside the state,” Meghalaya deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong said on Tuesday.
Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma has been criticized after he returned to the State from Manipur on Sunday and did not quarantine for few days.
Conrad had visited Manipur along with Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in an attempt to end the political turmoil in Manipur.
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Conrad was tested negative for COVID-19 on Tuesday.
According to the notification, Tynsong said that the laid down criteria stated those working for COVID-19 management and other urgent government duties, when they visit other States on duty would be tested with RT-PCR.
“If tested negative, they would be allowed to proceed to work while taking all necessary precautions,” he said.
Tynsong also said that chief minister Conrad K Sangma need not undergo 14-day quarantine.
Stating that ministers and officials including the chief secretary would have to attend meetings in Delhi, Tynsong said, “If we have to undergo 14-day quarantine, the state administration would be affected. Keeping this in mind, the health department has issued a separate protocol for the Ministers and officials to ensure that the government machinery keeps functioning smoothly.”
Meanwhile, Health minister A L Hek informed that a certificate was issued to the chief minister after he was tested negative.
Hek said that the Chief Minister has again flown to Manipur for his “personal works.”
“The general protocol is that anybody going outside the state and coming back on the same day has to be tested and if the test is negative, one can join work. While waiting for an outcome of the test report, such person had to quarantine,” the health minister said.