The Mizoram government on Monday announced mass quarantine for passengers, who enter the state from outside, as a preventive measure to contain the spread of coronavirus.
According to an official, the passengers will be quarantined at the state’s designated quarantine facilities.
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A state health department official said a meeting of departmental secretaries was held on Monday here in Aizawl.
Also read: People can buy essential commodities, supply unlikely to be disrupted: Mizoram CS
“The meeting decided to put all passengers coming from coronavirus affected states and countries under mass quarantine at government-designated quarantine facilities to prevent the spread of the deadly virus in the state,” the official said.
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The official also said the passengers, who came by flights and landed at Lengpui Airport from coronavirus affected states like Maharashtra, Kerala, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Punjab and those who came from abroad will undergo screening.
The screening will be supervised by medical experts at the airport after which they will be immediately sent to be quarantined at the designated quarantine facility in Lengpui near the airport.
After their initial stay at the designated quarantine facility, the air passengers will be examined to see if they are eligible for quarantine at their homes in consultation with a local level task force of their respective localities, the official said.
The meeting also decided to quarantine 57 passengers, mostly students, who have returned from Guwahati by a bus on Monday at the designated quarantine facility in Vairengte area under Kolasib district along the Assam-Mizoram border.
In case of shortage of room, the passengers will be distributed to other designated quarantine facilities within Kolasib district, the official said.
Meanwhile, the state-wide partial lockdown entered the second day on Monday.
Strict vigilance was maintained across the state during which the public movement or assembly of people was strictly prohibited.
However, shops selling essential commodities were opened between 9 am and 12 pm.
Sources said some residents, who were loitering on the streets, were warned by volunteers on duty to stay indoors.
Police said the lockdown was total as not only the people stayed indoors but also the vehicles were off the roads, except those for officials on duty, media persons and medical emergency.
On Sunday, Chuaungo had said all the entry points along the inter-state and international borders were completely sealed except at Vairengte.
He said those vehicles transporting essential commodities and stranded residents from outside the state are allowed to enter the state.
The chief secretary also said the supply of essential commodities is unlikely to be hit by the partial lockdown, which will continue till March 29.
While appreciating the preventive efforts made by colleges and Mizoram University, higher and technical education minister Dr. R. Lalthangliana instructed the authorities to continue imparting of education to the students through the online system.
Earlier, the state government announced closure of all educational institutions to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the state.