SHILLONG: The Opposition Leader, Mukul Sangma, has said the state government should enforce quarantine of the returnees instead of sending an advisory.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday after a meeting convened by the Assembly Secretariat to discuss issues related to COVID-19, the former chief minister said the returnees should be quarantined as only this can ensure the safety of the people of the state.
“Quarantine is an issue of enforcement and not just an advisory. There is a need for the government to ensure that all returnees are screened properly”, he said.
According to Mukul, the purpose is to see that if any returnee is affected by the virus, he or she should get attention and treatment as required as per the protocol.
Mukul said the intention is to ensure that the state is free from the virus and for this the government should ensure all health measures.
“If people coming back carry the virus and are not quarantined we will not be able to protect the vulnerable members of the family. So this part has to be properly audited and seen. Therefore, quarantine is an issue of enforcement and not just advisory,” he said.
He said there is a need to have rapid diagnostic test to identify the presence of anti-bodies as this will help to know the presence of virus.
