Quarantine facilities for returnees in Dimapur, Kohima

Our Correspondent
Kohima, May 16 (EMN): Although hundreds of stranded people have already arrived, thousands more are expected to reach Nagaland from neighbouring states and different parts of the country.

The government has set up different quarantine facilities for the returnees who will be going to their respective home towns and districts.

Reliable sources told Eastern Mirror that apart from the 17 designated quarantine centres, the government has also requisitioned some private hotels, educational institutions and churches to be used for quarantine facilities in the event of government institutions reaching capacity of accommodating returnees.

The source said that there are sufficient quarantine facilities and added that the government is “really prepared” to set up enough quarantine centres to accommodate thousands of returnees in Dimapur district.

Kohima

On May 15, the Kohima district administration issued an order listing a number of colleges in the district that are to be used as quarantine centres for people returning to Nagaland from outside the state.

The institutions listed as quarantine centres were Nagaland University, Kohima campus; Kohima Science College, Jotsoma; Japfu Christian College, Kigwema; St Joseph’s College, Jakhama and; Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Kohima.

Chief Medical Officer Kohima, Vezokholu Theyo told Eastern Mirror that the requisition order has been issued by the deputy commissioner but she has not “verified whether the reply to the requisition order has come from them”.

She shared that so far, there are no complaints from the people inhabiting these areas, but she was informed by some residents that they will be having meetings. “The requisition order came out only yesterday (May 15) and definitely they have to have meetings,” she said.

She also informed that the quarantine centre at Meriema has 254 beds and there are two more buildings that will be ready soon. “As of now, it is 254 but there is still room for expansion and in a week’s time we will look to that,” she added.

She also informed that there are 1102 beds ready at K Badze quarantine centre, and that preparation is still going on for more beds. “Definitely Meriema can be extended and even in K Badze preparation is still on,” she said.

In Dimapur, 17 institutions have already been converted into designated quarantine centres.