Manipur urges Centre to stop passenger flights to Imphal from June 18-28

Manipur government urged Centre on Monday to stop passenger flights to Imphal from June 18-28 in order to clear backlog of COVID-19 tests and ease congestion at state's quarantine centres.

Chief Secretary J Suresh Babu, in a letter to Usha Phee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, said state government wants to halt incoming passenger flights from June 18-28.

Babu urged ministry to issue necessary directives in this regard. re has been a substantial delay in testing COVID-19 samples in Manipur, as a large number of people have returned from or states in past few weeks, an official said.

"Around 15,000 samples are yet to be tested," he said. Five planes landed at Bir Tikendrajit International Airport here on Monday, officials said. Manipur has a total of 492 COVID-19 cases as of w, of which 344 are active.