Nagaland: Unruly behaviour at quarantine centres

Our Correspondent/Reporter
Kohima/Dimapur, May 28 (EMN): There have been reports of returnees breaking quarantine rules at the government-designated centres in Kohima and Tuensang districts.

Reliable sources informed Eastern Mirror that the ‘inmates have not been co-operating with the medical personnel in Kohima’.

They have also been reportedly sneaking out through the windows and unlatching the door from outside, while many are visiting each other’s rooms, the source said.

A returnee from Chennai informed this newspaper that he had witnessed people risking themselves by “having fellowship” inside the Shramik special train while on their way to Nagaland.

He also rued the ‘unruly behaviour’ exhibited by the returnees at the quarantine centre. “While living in the cities, we never see people littering one’s surroundings but here, we are behaving worse,” said the inmate.

He shared that many have been defying the rule of social distancing and safety measures for coronavirus by mingling in different rooms or at the campus of the quarantine centres.

“We are provided with accommodation, food and medical attention for our well-being but many don’t respect the medical personnel,” the inmate informed.

He also said that many inmates were spitting in ‘every nook and corner’ while smoking and chewing tobacco. The inmate has requested the government to monitor and take necessary steps to ensure safety of all those at the quarantine centres in different districts.

‘Disciplined Dimapur’

However, returnees who are currently quarantined at various facilities in Dimapur were reported as behaving better.

Amugha, who is one of the caretakers at Livingstone Foundation International quarantine centre, said that the people quarantined at their facility were ‘calm and understanding’.

‘Till today, we have not seen or heard any person misbehaving or posing any threat to any of the caretakers here,’ said Amugha.

He said that those quarantined at the facility were very understanding of the situation and that they follow all the guidelines and instructions given to them.

According to one returnee from Chennai, who is currently quarantined at Mapple Tree School, there are no such incidents of returnees misbehaving or creating problem for the caretakers.

She said that everyone is already so ‘worried’ by the situation and the alarming number of positive Covid-19 cases in Nagaland has made it worse for them, as they too have come on the same Chennai train.

She said that none of the returnees goes from one room to another and at the same time, no one is allowed to enter their rooms as well.

‘Why would any one of us here go from one room to another when we are already very scared by the detection of many positive cases?’ she asked.

Similarly, a caretaker at Tourist Lodge shared that the situation at the lodge was normal as returnees continue to ‘show patience regardless of some inconveniences they face’.

‘Of course, there are lapses even as we do our best and try and correct it every day. However, it is the returnees who are very tolerant and they often overlook our shortcomings and mistakes,’ he said.