SHILLONG: In line with the new guidelines issued by the ICMR state government on Thursday brought in few amendments in the SOPs, including reduction in the quarantine period for new entrants and allowing breaks to the over-worked front-line health workers at the entry points.
Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong said that as per the amended protocols, from August 21 onwards, returnees will only need to isolate themselves for ten days regardless of whether they test positive or negative by the antigen test at the entry point.
Those who test negative will have to undergo home isolation and positive returnees will be taken to the corona care centre but in both cases, they will have to be quarantined for ten days instead of 14 days.
In addition, the state government has also decided that for three months, starting September till November, the entry points set up by the government will be closed down during the first week i.e. from the first till the seventh of each month.
Tynsong said that the decision was taken to reduce the pressure on the frontline workers posted at the designated entry points and during the period, the government would go for aggressive sanitisation of the entry points.
Urging the returnees to cooperate with the state government, Tynsong asked them to schedule their travel itinerary accordingly.