Against the backdrop of three citizens of Nagaland who returned from Chennai testing positive for COVID-19, the Kohima Village Council (KVC) has demanded the State Government to send all returnees from other districts to their respective district centers without any further delay, failing which the Government will be held entirely responsible for any community spread and untoward consequences “through these returnees from other districts.”
In a letter to the Chief Minister of Nagaland, KVC chairman Dr Neiphi Kire and secretary Zeneizo Rutsa maintained that there is increased risk of spreading the infection amongst the residents of Kohima if people continue returning from high risk zone/s and are all kept together at Kohima quarantine centers.
This has also given additional stress and workload to the frontline workers who have to look after all returnees for the entire 8 districts and more, it said, while highlighting that on May 25, another 84 returnees have arrived at Kohima from Haryana in a special train through Dimapur.
“If the current strategy persists, the number of returnees in the Kohima centers will increase in the coming days as more arrive through different means of transport. These new arrivals will over saturate the quarantine facilities available and also put additional risk on those who are already completing their 14 (fourteen) days of quarantine,” it said.
The KVC also took “very strong exception” to the Government’s decision of “dumping all the transit passengers of the other 7 districts” at the quarantine centers of Kohima, while the quarantine centers in other districts have already been funded and set up by the respective districts. It regretted that the KVC’s earlier representation to the Chief Secretary dated May 22 in this regard has not been considered.
Meanwhile KVC also expressed sympathy to the three persons who were tested COVID 19 positive on Monday.
Social Media reacts
“Nagas should remember that the first patient from Nagaland was treated in Assam…if Assam people know about this demand our people will be a laughing stock”
“There’s no need to panic and do more harm now, whatever happened …it’s all done.. now we should find means to contain the situation instead of spreading fear/panic and the sickness everywhere. Let’s all be responsible now.”
“Really surprised to see the statement of KVC.”
“The state govt made a terrible mistake by setting the BSL-3 in Kohima instead of Dimapur, which is the gateway. And now, since the lab is in Kohima, it is imperative that all the Quarantine centres should be located close to the BSL-3. This will facilitate the pace of testing the returness. Later on after the next BSL-3 is established, the burden can be shared.”