After blunder, Govt issues directive on inter-district transfer of returnees

Dimapur, May 27: Facing widespread flak after one returnee who was among 169 passengers sent from Kohima to Tuensang without waiting for the test results of sample collected from them, the Government of Nagaland has now issued direction to the districts administration of Dimapur and Kohima to send returnees to their respective districts only after conducting COVID-19 tests and after obtaining the test results.
This was decided in a meeting held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.
In the directives issued to the Deputy Commissioners of Dimapur and Kohima, State Principal Home Secretary Abhijit Sinha, IAS directed that the returnees bound for other districts, who are being initially quarantined at the quarantine facilities at Dimapur and Kohima shall be sent to their respective districts only after conducting COVID-19 tests on them and after obtaining the results.
Sinha said the Health & Family Welfare Department shall inform the status of the tests of the returnees to the Kohima and Dimapur District Task Force on time and the districts will make the travel plan accordingly.
“There should be proper coordination between the sending and the receiving districts along with arrangements of necessary refreshments en route, if required. The Project Directors, DRDA of the districts falling on the way may be assigned with proper instructions for making arrangements for the refreshments/food,” the directive said.
Sinha said the plans for sending the returnees to their districts should be prepared at least one day in advance with proper intimation to the concerned Minister/Advisors who have been assigned districts to monitor, the War Room and the Empowered Group for better coordination. (Page news Service)