Govt to soon take a call on extending lockdown period: Tynsong

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 9, 2020

The state government will soon take a call on whether to further extend the lockdown till the end of this month.

The 21 days nationwide lockdown to combat against the spread of COVID-19 will end on April 14.

Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said that the state Cabinet will again sit to review the present situation next week.

“If need be, we can continue with the lockdown may be till the end of this month but that decision will be taken by the Cabinet sometime next week,” he said.

Not a single positive case has been detected in Meghalaya so far. As of today, a total of 123 samples have been tested in NEIGRIHMS and all were found to be negative.

However stating that the government is not at all complacent, Tynsong said, “The government is fully prepared in case of any eventuality.”

He informed that corona care centre have been set up in IIM, Shillong at Nongthymmai, MATI at Mawdiangdiang, MIIT at Dhankheti, Pastoral Centre and SMELC in Tura, West Garo Hills District.

On the other hand, Commissioner & Secretary in-charge Health & Family Welfare, Sampath Kumar informed that the department has also decided that those people going for testing will have to be quarantine for one day (till reports are out).

He said so far 70 people have been quarantine for 28 days while over 4,000 have completed the home quarantine adding that there are eight people who have been kept under observation in different hospitals.

Asked when the government will set up a testing centre for COVID-19 in Tura, Kumar said, “We are in the process of getting all the approvals…it may take another week or so. We have the machinery and we are in the process of putting the entire set up.”

He further informed that the government will also have to build certain infrastructure in Tura civil hospital and that is also in the process.