The Meghalaya government has issued revised protocols for testing of COVID19 cases and discharge of hospitalised COVID19 cases and those who undergo home or institutional isolation.

It is mandatory for all people entering Meghalaya to register themselves prior to their travel at:http://meghalayaonline.gov.in/covid/testing.htm, and to download the Arogya Setu App and the Behavioural Change Management App of Meghalaya from google play store.

As per the revised protocol, visitors coming to Meghalaya for a specific purpose (business, examinations, industry, work, personal distress, etc.) for 5 days or less, are exempted from quarantine on production of a COVID-Negative RAT report from a recognized laboratory.

The report will be valid only if they were tested within 48 hours of their arrival at the entry point.

“Such individuals can attend to their purpose of visit and are restricted to limited movement only from the residence to their workplace. In case the visit needs to be extended for more than 5 days, the visitors should mandatorily undergo RT-PCR/CBNAAT/TruNat test at their own expense in any of the recognised laboratory in the State on the 5th day, and they will be allowed to carry on with their work only after declaration of the test result,” the revised protocols said.

The protocols also stated that all asymptomatic persons going out of Meghalaya for a short duration of 5 (five) days or less shall, on return, be exempted from quarantine if tested RAT negative at entry.

“They shall provide a valid travel document in the form of air/rail ticket or taxi voucher or any other evidence validating such travel. If tested positive, SOP for home or institutional isolation should be followed,” it said.

Further, all entrants with a negative RT-PCR/TruNat/CBNAAT report and not having any symptoms will be exempted from quarantine and can proceed with their daily activities normally.

All entrants tested by RT-PCR at the entry point should go into home quarantine or paid quarantine till the test results are declared. The test results are usually available within 48 hours.

If tested negative, which shall be communicated through an SMS or can be checked online at www.coronamegh.in, such individuals can carry on with their daily activities or work normally.

“If tested positive, SOP for home or institutional isolation should be followed. Entrants tested RAT Negative at entry point or coming with RAT Negative certificate should undergo mandatory quarantine of 7 days.

“If tested positive, SOP for home or institutional isolation should be followed. All entrants who produce a COVlD-Negative report at the entry point are exempted from testing, irrespective of their State of origin.

“The entrants should have been tested at a recognized laboratory by RT-PCR/TruNat/CBNAAT/RAT. The RT-PCR/CBNAAT/TruNat report will be valid only if they were tested within 72 hours of their arrival at the entry point.

“RAT Negative report will be valid only if tested within 48 hours of their arrival at the entry point. For those entrants who do not have a COVID-Negative report.testing at entry points is available at a cost fixed by the Government.

“Entrants can choose either Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) or RT-PCR. Entrants coming with a COVID Negative report but showing symptoms on arrival at the entry point will have to be mandatorily tested by RT-PCR,” the protocol stated.

All entrants exempted from quarantine are to closely monitor their health for 10 days from the date of entry into the State.

A person is identified as a high-risk contact if he/she came into direct contact with a COVID19 positive person without wearing a mask and was exposed to the person for at least 15 minutes.

All high-risk contacts of a COVID positive person are to be tested by RT -PCR on the 5th day since exposure.

High-risk contacts are to quarantine themselves as soon as they get to know about their exposure until their test results are declared.

On completion of the isolation period, asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic cases will follow the protocol for discharge of asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic COVID-19 cases.

Hospitalised COVlD19 cases will be discharged as per the current SOP.