Shillong, Apr 9: After facing criticisms for deciding to partially allow people to move within the state from April 15, the Meghalaya government is likely to extend the lockdown till the end of this month.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said that the state Cabinet will again sit to review the present situation next week.

“If need be, we can continue with the lockdown may be till the end of this month but that decision will be taken by the Cabinet sometime next week,” he said.

Not a single positive case has been detected in Meghalaya so far after a total of 123 samples have been tested in NEIGRIHMS.

“The government is not at all complacent and we are fully prepared in case of any eventuality,” Tynsong said.

He informed that corona care centres have been set up in IIM Shillong at Nongthymmai, MATI at Mawdiangdiang, MIIT at Dhankheti, Pastoral Centre and SMELC in Tura, West Garo Hills District.

Commissioner & Secretary in-charge Health & Family Welfare, Sampath Kumar informed that the department has also decided that those people going for testing will have to be quarantine for one day (till reports are out).

He said so far 70 people have been quarantine for 28 days while over 4,000 have completed the home quarantine adding that there are eight people who have been kept under observation in different hospitals.

On setting up a testing centre for COVID-19 in Tura, Kumar said, “We are in the process of getting all the approvals…it may take another week or so. We have the machinery and we are in the process of putting the entire set up.”

He further informed that the government will also have to build certain infrastructure in Tura civil hospital and that is also in the process.