SHILLONG: They took great pains returning home after the novel coronavirus-induced lockdown had shackled them to where they were across various parts of the country, but once on familiar terra firma, their euphoria got the better of them.
Or, so it would seem.
In a major cause of worry, as many as 400 people, who recently arrived in the state, violated the home-quarantine protocols by venturing out in the open.
The naysayers were right; they had warned of such a scenario emerging.
Even on Friday, a citizen moved the High Court of Meghalaya seeking a stay order on the decision of the state government for home quarantine of the returnees to the state, particularly from the red zones where the incidence of the pandemic is high, and instead, called for institutional quarantine.
Confirming the worrying development here on Friday, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said the ‘violators’ were traced through an app of the state government and by its health volunteers and the matter has already been taken up with the local authorities, who have assured to keep a check on the footloose and make sure they abide by the quarantine norms.
Asked if any action will be taken against the violators, Tynsong only said that the violators have been counselled and they have also regretted their act.
He also said that most of them were from the Shillong agglomeration.
“My only request to them is to not take such matters lightly… people, who have come from outside the North East, have to undergo 14 days of mandatory quarantine apart from 14 days of self-monitoring.”
He said that the violators were roaming in Shillong when they were traced through the app, but right now they are back in their place and the government has sent its dedicated teams to meet them and the authorities in the localities.
He also said that the government would ensure that those who are coming back to the state from outside the North East abide by the norms of the government.
Petition in High Court
A citizen, Joannes JTL Lamare, has petitioned the High Court Chief Justice, Biswanath Somadder, seeking a stay on the decision of the state government for home quarantine of those who have returned to the state from other parts of the country especially from areas falling under red zones.
In a petition on Friday, Lamare, from Nongkrem, asked the Chief Justice to consider a hearing on the matter.
According to Lamare, many were in favour of stranded residents and citizens of Meghalaya returning home as there is no guarantee of the virus disappearing soon, but there are many too, who have reservations about the government’s hasty decision to allow the returnees to stay at home under quarantine.
The petition said that people have such reservations as many of those returning are not completely aware of what home quarantine entails and they are free to move about in the streets to purchase essential commodities.
According to the petitioner, there are no strict measures to enforce home quarantine as there is not a single monitoring body and many, both within the government and outside, have suggested that the matter of quarantine should not be a mere advisory of the government, but should be closely monitored and enforced and there should be hefty punishments for those who break the rules.
Stating that the government had recently announced that the state has set up quarantine centres for the needy, the petitioner questioned as to why then the government was forcing the returnees to be home-quarantined.
Maintaining that the central government had allotted and sanctioned funds and financial assistance to the state to counter, combat and minimise the spread of COVID-19, he wanted the government to take care of those returning from outside the state and offer them institutional quarantine and not home quarantine as it is not “100% safe”.
