Nagaland extends lockdown till July 31; no total shutdown in Kohima

Our Correspondent
Kohima, July 10 (EMN): The high power committee (HPC) on Covid-19, chaired by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, has decided not to impose total lockdown in Kohima yet.

Advisor for Information Technology, Science and Technology and New and Renewable Energy Resources, Mmhonlumo Kikon, informed journalists about this decision in Kohima on Friday.

The HPC’s decision came two days after the Association of Kohima Municipal Wards Panchayat (AKMWP) appealed to the state government to impose a total lockdown within Kohima municipality in view of the frontline workers being detected with the virus.

Subsequently, the deputy commissioner of Kohima had written to the home commissioner on July 9, relaying the message of AKMWP.

According to Kikon, the committee had deliberated on the proposal put up by the district task force, Kohima.

“After listening to both the views of the district administration presented by DC Kohima and the Health department, it was decided that all relevant facts were presented; all scientific reasons were given to us. Having listened to them, it was decided that total lockdown may not be warranted in Kohima as of now,” he said.

Kikon asserted that when positive cases are detected, containment zones are declared; adding that contact tracing and surveillance will be enhanced and enforced in those areas.

He informed that ‘new containment’ measures have been decided and ‘very strict protocol’ will be enforced in the containment zones. Extra efforts will also be made for ‘rigorous tracing, rigorous surveillance and other activities for containing the positive cases,’ he added.

Lockdown extended till July 31

It was also informed that the committee has extended the ongoing lockdown till July 31. It was earlier scheduled to end on July 15.

Kikon also informed that the HPC has decided to turn all quarantine centres into paid facilities after sometime; stating that the cut-off date has not been decided yet. He added that testing of Covid-19 would also be charged in line with the cut-off date of paid quarantine centres, where the price for testing will be ‘normal rate,’ not exceeding the maximum retail price; but depending on the cost of the cartridge.

The free quarantine facilities would be closed as the government has spent around INR 24.15 crore for setting up the centres and managing the mess in all the districts of the state.

The HPC will be coming up with a new standard operating procedure (SOP) in a few days’ time in accordance with the decisions taken on Friday, he said, adding that there will be uniform SOP in all the districts.