SHILLONG: The government will put in place a few more registration and testing centres in the state with the first batch of citizens from outside the North East set to arrive on Friday via special trains,.
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said on Thursday that the centres will be made operational from Friday.
He said so far 4161 citizens, mostly from the Northeastern states, have arrived in the state.
He said that the special train carrying 873 citizens from Chennai will reach Guwahati on Friday afternoon, adding that apart from Bajengdoba testing centre, another registration and testing centre will be created in ISBT, Tura, which will cater to those going back to West Garo Hills and South Garo Hills; the Bajengdoba centre will take care of those going to East Garo Hills and North Garo Hills.
Giving the break-up of the returnees, Tynsong informed that 61 of them are from East Garo Hills, 36 from East Jaintia Hills, 192 from East Khasi Hills, 145 from North Garo Hills, 73 from Ri Bhoi, 27 from South Garo Hills, 53 from South West Garo Hills, 26 from South West Khasi Hills, 125 from West Garo Hills, 69 from West Jaintia Hills and 66 from West Khasi Hills.
For those returning to East Khasi Hills district, he said that a centre has been created at Polo ground in Shillong and they do not need to stop at Byrnihat. For those returning to East Jaintia Hills and West Jaintia Hills, a centre has been created at Thadlaskein village and they too need not go for screening at Byrnihat.
The Byrnihat check point will cater to those going to Ri Bhoi, West Khasi Hills and South West Khasi Hills districts. Tynsong also appealed to the kin of the returnees not to go to Guwahati to pick them up as the government will take them to their respective districts.
Stating that the state government has paid for the special trains which are being used to bring back stranded citizens, he added that a train from Gujarat will leave on Friday while another will leave from Karnataka on May 16.
Tynsong said that the government is awaiting confirmation from the Ministry of Railways to arrange similar trains from West Bengal, Kerala, Delhi, UP, Rajasthan, Bihar, Punjab etc.
According to Tynsong, rapid tests will be mandatory and those found positive would be taken to quarantine centres
“Next day, we will do an RT-PCR test,” he said.
He said those from outside the North East need to go for 28 days of quarantine.
