Nagaland to revise SOP for returnees, travellers; yet to take a call on school reopening, lockdown measures

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Nov. 5 (EMN): Nagaland government will soon issue a revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for returnees and travellers entering the state, while the departments of Education and Health have been tasked with preparing concrete proposals concerning reopening of schools and lockdown measures, respectively.

This was informed by Mmhonlumo Kikon, Nagaland’s Covid-19 spokesperson and Advisor to New and Renewable Energy, IT &C, Science and Technology, following a meeting of the high powered committee headed by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio was held in Kohima on Thursday.

A revised SOP was needed for strict enforcement of the already existing guidelines, Kikon informed, adding that the new SOP will also encompass paid and home quarantine.

Kikon shared that the Education department had presented its findings after consultations with stakeholders.

“The department of School Education has been given a timeline of November 15 to come up with a concrete proposal with thorough consultation of all the stakeholders: parents, schools and administration,” he informed.

The Health department has been tasked with ‘reviewing the reasons why other states have already imposed lockdown’ and consider the situation in Nagaland. It has also been asked to review why positive cases in the state are not willing to inform authorities about their contacts.

Kikon added that the department has been empowered to come up with a concrete proposal on ‘what kind of lockdown measures’ should Nagaland opt for.

Only after the two departments submit their respective concrete proposals, the state government will take a call, he said. 

Further, Kikon informed that private hospitals have been asked to provide testing facilities so that the people can go and test, which will be contained in the new SOP.