SHILLONG/ Mawkyrwat/ NONGSTOIN: Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Monday said that 6565 citizens of the state stranded in different parts of the country since the lockdown started in March have so far returned.
Thanking the frontline workers, who have worked tirelessly in receiving the citizens, Tynsong also informed that as of now there are not less than 7000 COVID committees in urban and rural areas of the state.
Tynsong said that the next batch of citizens numbering not less than 1500 are on their way from Bengaluru and the train is scheduled to reach Guwahati on May 20.
He also said the state government is in touch with the Railway Ministry to arrange special trains from other locations like Maharashtra etc to bring back the stranded citizens.
79 in community
quarantine centres
South West Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Isawanda Laloo on Monday informed that 95 people have returned of whom 79 are in Community Quarantine Centres (CQCs) prepared by Dorbar Shnong in different villages.
Of the 95 people, mostly students, 20 are from Mawkyrwat Block and 75 from Ranikor Block.
The DC also said that while 79 were staying in CQCs in different villages the others were in home and institutional quarantine.
Laloo said that those villages expecting returnees have been asked to set up CQCs.
201 back in WKH
The District Medical & Health Officer (DM&HO), West Khasi Hills, on Monday said that 201 people, including workers and students, have returned to the district till Monday.
Dr M Bareh told pressmen that out of the 201, 118 are from Northeastern states, 74 from Chennai, seven from Gujarat and two from New Delhi.
She also confirmed that all had undergone rapid test at Byrnihat and then at Lyngdohmasi in Mairang before entering the district and none showed symptoms.
She also said that only 11 were in institutional quarantine because of constraints for self-quarantine, while the rest are in centres prepared by respective villages.
“We encouraged all the returnees to put up at institutional quarantine centres prepared by the district administration and the Health Department, but they preferred to be self- quarantined at homes or in centres prepared by village authorities. The Health Department has assured to monitor them on a regular basis as a precaution”, Bareh said.
Deputy Commissioner T Lyngwa said the district has 13 institutional quarantine centres where the district administration will provide food for the returnees whereas, those who are self-quarantined will be provided only dry ration.
He also claimed that there was some delay recently in providing food and dry ration, but now everything was ready and if the families of the returnees find it difficult in carrying the ration the district administration will arrange door delivery.
He further said that the 201 returnees, who have undergone rapid tests, will go through RT-PCR tests on May 26 and 27. However, those who come in the future will directly undergo RT-PCR tests.
