14 days institutional quarantine mandatory for returnees in Arunachal Pradesh

The Arunachal Pradesh government has made institutional quarantine for a period of 14 days mandatory for people returning to Arunachal Pradesh from across the country, a senior minister said on Saturday. Among the returnees, students will also have to go into institutional quarantine for the same duration, he said.

Earlier a group of six students, lodged in a quarantine centre, was allowed to go home after five days when their swab samples had tested negative.

People are coming back after the Centre allowed those stranded across the country in view of the lockdown to return to their respective states.

The state cabinet headed by Chief Minister Pema Khandu at a meeting also decided to make RT-PCR test for detection of COVID-19 compulsory for the returnees, including the asymptomatic ones, state Home minister Bamang Felix told reporters here on Saturday.

"We have decided to segregate returnees on the basis of green, orange and red zones and make arrangements accordingly. Those sneaking into the state from non-designated routes and not following the standard operating procedure by keeping the administration in the dark shall be dealt with strictly," the minister said.

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Due to certain bottlenecks being faced in the facility established at the quarantine centre set up at the Police Training Centre Banderdewa near here, the cabinet has decided to appoint Papum Pare deputy commisioner Pige Ligu as the in-charge of the centre, Felix, who is also the government spokesman, said.

In order to strengthen institutional quarantine facilities in the capital region, the cabinet has decided that a BPL housing complex at Lekhi would be converted into a state quarantine facility within 10 days.

"The complex has 590 independent vacant units and Education minister Taba Tedir has been entrusted to oversee the implementation of the cabinet decision," Felix said.

It was also decided at the meeting to increase the number of paid quarantine centres in the state capital.

The cabinet has also resolved to complete the evacuation of stranded persons from the northeast region to Arunachal Pradesh by May 14, the home minister said.

The cabinet in its sitting reviewed the status of movement of goods vehicles, convoys, medical and emergency vehicles from Hollongi, Banderdewa and Gumto check gates to the state capital, he said. 

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