NONGPOH, May 24: Once burdened with the task of screening thousands of entrants, workers at the Umling facilitation centre are now getting some respite from the workload as the number of people returning to state through the centre has gone down drastically, especially after curbs were imposed across Meghalaya to prevent further spread of the coronavirus.
According to workers, since the imposition of total curfew in the district, the number of people entering the state on a daily basis is less than two hundred.
Being on the frontline in the fight against the pandemic, the workers at Umling centre had had a tough time as their hands were so full with managing returnees that they even missed their three primary meals — breakfast, lunch and dinner — during the past few weeks when thousands of people entered the state on a daily basis. However, with the number thinning down gradually, the entry point now appears quite desolate.
When the impact of the second wave of the pandemic was initially felt in Ri Bhoi, all stakeholders including the district administration and officials manning the screening point ensured that no stone was left unturned to prevent the surge of COVID-19 but even their best efforts could not subdue the effects of this wave. As per official data on Monday, Ri Bhoi accounts for 1,187 of the total COVID-19 caseload in the state, which is second-highest after East Khasi Hills.
The tracking system in Ri Bhoi was conceptualised to ensure village authorities would be informed about the arrival of the returnees, Ri Bhoi Deputy Commissioner RM Kurbah informed. When the returnees hail from Ri Bhoi, their names are listed in the group in-charge by the executive magistrate, who will then inform the concerned village or local authorities regarding their arrival, the DC said, adding that Community COVID-19 Management Committee (CCMC) are assigned to look after and report cases of violation of isolation guidelines to the concerned official in-charge.
The DC also informed that the facility is sanitised frequently, while adding that hand sanitisers are kept near every counter including the toilet. People no longer have to wait for hours at the Umling centre as registration and tests can be done within 5 to 10 minutes provided the concerned person or returnees possesses all the required documents, the DC informed.
