Over 8,000 stranded citizens register to return to Meghalaya

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMay 11, 2020

Over 8,000 people including students stranded in various states of the country due to the national lockdown have expressed their desire to return to the state.

“Over 8,000 people stranded outside North East India have so far registered with the government as they wanted to come back to their respective native places in Meghalaya,” Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong told reporters here on Monday.

He said the registration process is still on. 

Tynsong informed that the government has decided that once the flight and railway services resume, such citizens who are planning to come back to the state will be subjected to follow strict protocols including 28 days home quarantine.

“They (returnees) will have to go through rapid diagnostic test (screening for coronavirus) at the entry points designated by the government,” he said.

“If flight operation takes place from Umroi in case if need be additional centre will be created in the airport. But as of today since we don’t know yet about the operation of the flights till today we do have only four points created by the government (for screening such people),” he further added.

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The four entry (check) points have been set up at Ratacherra, East Jaintia Hills, Byrnihat, Ri Bhoi, Bajengdoba, North Garo Hills and Tikrikilla, West Garo Hills.

Asked, the deputy CM informed that the state government is in touch with the concerned central ministries for bringing back all stranded citizens to the state.

“However, it is not easy to receive all of them in one go as many of them are coming from red zone (states),” he said while adding that this is very risky for the state.

Tynsong however requested all such citizens to have patience and refrain from travelling back to the state.

Meanwhile, the deputy CM further informed that a total of 3030 citizens stranded in the various parts of the North East states have finally returned to the state.

“Of these, six initially have been tested positive by the rapid diagnostic test while making entry at the check points. However, later all of them were tested negative after RT-PCR test was conducted,” he said.

According to Tynsong, all the 3030 returnees have been asked to go for home-quarantine.