SHILLONG: The state government has made it clear that home quarantine is not compulsory as there is option for institutional quarantine.
In a report submitted to the High Court of Meghalaya, the state government said that Meghalaya is ready and prepared with the institutional isolation facilities, but the same have been kept optional for asymptomatic persons with a travel history. However, it is mandatory for all persons tested positive whether they have mild or severe symptoms.
As per the protocol issued by the state government, the persons tested positive are hospitalised and are kept under corona care centres based on the severity of the symptoms.
The asymptomatic and mild symptomatic cases have the option to be treated through home isolation. “8 of the 13 cases in the state have been recovered through home isolation option”, the report said.
According to the affidavit, the state has kept a robust system of testing for all those coming from red zone areas at the entry point and they are sent for home quarantine or community quarantine only after they are tested negative. This has been made effective since May 18.
The state said it has adopted a decentralized model for building the community capacity to deal with any eventuality. There are around 7000 Community COVID-19 Management Committees (CCMCs) in all villages and localities consisting of magistrates or their representatives, headmen, medical personnel to monitor and guide the community to deal with all issues relating to COVID-19 management effectively.
The CCMCs assess the requirement on the ground whether a person needs to be sent to institutional or community quarantine.
“All those who do not have independent rooms or having family members over 65 years of age and those with co-morbid conditions are sent to community or institutional quarantine. Hence, the state is taking more precaution than advised by the WHO for containment of the COVID-19 pandemic”, the government said.
The state has prepared a detailed protocol to be adopted to deal with all the persons arriving in Meghalaya from outside after obtaining permission for inter-state travel for citizens and residents of Meghalaya who were stranded outside the state.
The protocol mandates that all persons who enter the state at the designated entry points will be scanned by an infrared thermometer or thermal scanner to detect body temperature and all persons who come from high risk areas where the transport is facilitated by the state will be tested by Rapid Antibody Test Kits and RT-PCR. ‘Pool testing’ method would also be used, and if pooled test is positive, the samples will be retested by way of RT-PCR/CBNAAT.
The persons will be kept in institutional quarantine in the respective districts until test results arrive. In case of space constraints, they will be sent for home quarantine after sampling.
Those coming in private vehicles to the state from outside the North East will be sampled for RT-PCR at the entry point of the district and sent for home quarantine.
“If the test is negative, they would be sent for home quarantine and if it comes as positive they will be sent for institutional quarantine/hospital as per severity of symptoms”, the report said.
