Four flights carrying 448 passengers land at Imphal airport

A total of 448 people arrived in Imphal on Monday in four flights as domestic air travel resumed in Manipur and other states, after a gap of two months, officials said.

The first flight to land was from Delhi via Guwahati which reached Imphal Airport followed by an Air Asia flight.

"Upon arrival, the passengers were screened for fever through the newly installed whole-body thermal scanner," a statement issued by the COVID-19 Common Control Room said.

The passengers will "remain in quarantine centre till they tested negative or till completion of 14 days", the statement said.

Security personnel ensured that social distancing norms were maintained by the passengers before they were allowed to board buses which took them to an institutional quarantine centre located a few kilometres away from the airport. Disinfectants were also sprayed at the baggage of the arriving passengers. Meanwhile, the state Home Department on Monday morning reviewed and modified its earlier Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

"No passenger will be allowed to go home without testing negative or till completion of 14 days" quarantine period, it said.

Asymptomatic passengers will be stamped for institutional quarantine with indelible ink on their hand and allowed to the baggage area, it added.

A new Standard Operating Procedure was issued after several student bodies protested against the earlier SOP which allowed incoming passengers to go for home quarantine.

The Kuki Students Organisation, Sadar Hills had issued a statement on Sunday that unless the state government rectifies its order to send all flight passengers to institutional quarantine, no passengers coming by flight shall be allowed entry into Sadar Hills Kangpokpi district.

Six other student bodies, including All Manipur Students Union (AMSU) and Manipur Students Federation (MSF), also questioned the earlier SOP and met government representatives this morning to resolve the matter.