GUWAHATI: Sur U Paidbah Ka Bri U Hynniewtrep (SUPH), a local organisation, has appealed to the Meghalaya government to take up a slew of measures against COVID-19, reiterating that returnees be sent only to community or government quarantine centres.
In a statement issued on Thursday, SUPH spokesperson Thomas Passah reiterated that facility quarantine was the best option to prevent spread of coronavirus in the state.
“Our intention is to avoid/prevent any more cases in the state which could be spread by our friends coming back to the state. So we strongly request the state government not to allow home quarantine but to send these returnees to community quarantine centres in villages or to government quarantine centres,” Passah said.
“We also appeal to the government to ensure food and water to the returnees. We have learnt that from Byrnihat, the process tests conducted on the returnees at various locations takes many hours and therefore availability of food and water needs to be ensured,” he said.
SUPH also reiterated its demand to immediately stop entry of goods and vegetables to the state and allow sale and procurement of local vegetables as much as possible as a precautionary measure against COVID-19.
“Further, we appeal to the government not to impose fines on those who have to come out during the curfew owing to emergency. Besides, the government also needs to look at possibility of opening more employment avenues without compromising on the precautionary measures against the virus,” Passah said.
