4 flights with 448 passengers land in Imphal

Four flights with 448 passengers including two minors landed at Imphal airport on Monday, the first day of resumption of the domestic flights amid the increasing COVID-19 positive cases in Manipur. Four new positive cases were reported in the state in the last 24-hour taking the total number of COVID-19 cases to 36. 

All four news cases including a 21-year-old girl recently returned to the state and are staying at community quarantine centres in their respective districts. The new confirmed cases were reported from Churachandpur, Noney and Kangpokpi districts. Of the total positive cases, 18 including one confirmed on Monday were from Churachandpur district. All of them recently came back from Chennai.

Meanwhile, amid the rising positive cases among the returnees, four flights (two Indigo flights, one each of Air Asia and Air India) with 448 passengers including two minors on board landed at Imphal airport on Monday. All domestic flights remained suspended since March 25 after the Centre announced nationwide lockdown to slow down the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

Of the four flights, three were from Delhi while one, a link flight (Indigo) originating from Chennai that also picked up passengers from Bangaluru, official source said.

On arrival at the Imphal airport, all the passengers were subjected to body thermal scanning and were transported to an institutional quarantine centre opened at two private schools in Imphal West district.

Meanwhile, the change in the SOP on Sunday has surprised returnees as well as relatives who arrived at airport to pick them. 

Among others, as per the SOP issued by state home department, all passengers who are asymptotic will be allowed to go home for quarantine. However, ahead of arrival of the flights, the state home department issued a modified SOP stating that all asymptomatic passengers will be put at institutional or community quarantine centre. Any symptomatic passengers or suspected passengers will be separated immediately and sent to isolation ward/ Covid treatment ward by medical team.