Newmai News Network
Shillong | May 16
The State Government of Meghalaya on Saturday said returnees from other states cannot be sent to quarantine centres because the state does not have sufficient rooms to accommodate them.
According to Health Minister, Alexander Laloo Hek, as per the last count the availability of rooms to quarantine stranded students and individuals who have reached the State stands at around a thousand.
He said that more than 7000-8000 such residents of the State are expected to return back to Meghalaya in the coming weeks but there were not many rooms available to quarantine them.
“We have our limitations where do we accommodate them,” Hek told reporters during a press conference at the BJP headquarters.
The Health minister informed that for this reason, the government has sought the assistance of the 'dorbar shnongs' and other traditional institutions to set up quarantine centers for such students and individuals.
It may be mentioned that various 'dorbar shnongs' and other traditional bodies have expressed apprehension that allowing the residents who returned to the State to home quarantine may risk the health of the family members and others in the villages\localities.
Recently, Leader of Opposition Dr Mukul Sangma had expressed concern over home quarantine and said that quarantine is an issue of enforcement and not just advisory.
Health officials have said that the home quarantine period for those coming from the States of the Northeastern region is 14 days.
The Meghalaya government had already stated that all those returning from outside the North East region be treated as coming from red zones and such returnees will have to remain quarantined for 14 days and then they will have to further undergo self-observation for another 14 days.
