Visitors tested negative for COVID are exempted from quarantine in Meghalaya

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaOctober 27, 2020

The state government has decided to allow people, who are coming to the state for business purposes, to undergo COVID-19 testing once in ten days.

After a review meeting held here on Tuesday, Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong said the government has discussed the issue related to the concern expressed by several organizations from Assam over the inter-state movement.

“You know the concern of our friends from Goalpara district is very genuine as how can they test and pay Rs 500 for RAT (rapid antigen test) everyday while entering the state. So now we have decided to instruct the respective deputy commissioners that those people who does business in Meghalaya, they can be tested once in ten days,” Tynsong told reporters.

He also informed that the government has also approved the amended standard operating procedure (SOP) for easing out the coming and going of people into the state without compromising the health interest of the citizens.

Tynsong said that the rate for the COVID-19 testing was also discussed during the review meeting adding the government may take a final decision on the rate of testing be it RT-PCR, CBNAAT, TrueNAT or RAT by tomorrow.

Earlier, the government has put a cap of Rs 3,200 per RT-PCR, CBNAAT, and TrueNAT and Rs 500 for RAT.

Meanwhile, the revised protocols issued by the Health and Family Welfare department on Tuesday said visitors coming for a specific purpose (business, examinations, industry, work, personal distress, etc.) to the state for a short duration of 5 days or less are exempted from quarantine on production of a COVID-Negative RAT report from a recognized laboratory.

It said the report will be valid only if they were tested within 48 hours of their arrival at the entry point. Such individuals can attend to their purpose of visit and are restricted to limited movement only from the residence to their workplace.

In case the visit needs to be extended for more than 5 days, the visitors should mandatorily undergo RT-PCR/CBNAAT/TruNat test at their own expense in any of the recognised laboratory in the state on the 5th day and they will be allowed to carry on with their work only after declaration of the test result, the department stated.

“All entrants exempted from quarantine are to closely monitor their health for 10 days from the date of entry into the state. Upon development of any symptoms of COVlD-19, such individuals should self-report to the nearest healthcare facility ANM ASHA worker,” it said .