Out of the 18,350 stranded citizens returning to the state from several parts of the country, at least 12, 536 would be arriving from Red Zone, 3239 from Orange Zone and 2575 from Green Zone, shows a summary report by Data Analyst Team COVID19 Empowered Group
As per the report, Dimapur would be receiving 8657— 6328 from Red Zone, 1262 from Orange Zone and 1067 from Green Zone) followed by Mon with 1944— 907 from Red Zone, 749 from Orange Zone and 288 from Green Zone (See table). Officials however informed that the tally may differ from time to time.
Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC), Y Kikheto Sema, who is the overall in charge of Dimapur district for all COVID-19 related activities, in an exclusive interview with NE8/Nagaland Post, admitted that it would be a very big challenge for the state government to handle the situation.
He, however, maintained that the government would take all precautionary measures to handle the task, adding that the government would not leave any Naga who wanted to return. Sema informed that currently there were nearly 60 quarantine observation centres in Dimapur. He said that about 60-70 hotels have also been kept reserved for isolation centres with a total capacity of around 3500.
He stated that initially around 3000 people were expected to return to the state, but the number increased to over 18,000. Explaining the difference between quarantine observation centre and isolation centre, Sema said that the former was for people with no symptom of COVID-19 and the latter was those who showed symptoms or were suspected to have symptoms of the virus.
In the past three days, he said that around 1200 people have reached Dimapur from green zone areas. Sema said those people after completing three days in quarantine observation centre would be shifted to their designated places. He further stated around 167 to 168 people were sent to Kohima on May 14, 2020.
APC stated that people coming from green zone and orange zone areas would be kept at quarantine observation centres for three days and mandatory home isolation for 14 days while people from red zone areas or those who crossed red zone areas would be kept at institutional quarantine for 14 days and mandatory home isolation for 14 more days.
He, however, said that every person who enters the state from any of the zones would undergo detailed medical screening, adding that if anyone was found to have symptoms of COVID-19, they would be kept at separate isolation wards. Sema also added that there were separate quarantine centres for men and women. APC disclosed that Dimapur has so far received a total number of around 1300 stranded citizens and Kohima has received a little over 300. He said that over 15,000 were still expected to return.
When asked if state government would be providing the designated amount of Rs. 10,000 to people who had not filled up the form to retune from the beginning, he said that the decision would be made by the core committee.
He, however, opined that if one was a genuine Naga and had opted to stay back in their current location from the beginning, the government could consider assisting them with the designated amount.
On the report of a Manipur man, who crossed the Dillai Check Gate en route Manipur, testing positive for COVID19, the APC stated that the state government would try to revise and review activities in check gates. It was also learnt that around 20 police personnel, who were manning the Dillai check gate, were at institutional quarantine centre as precautionary measure as they may have come in contact with the infected person during duty.