Shillong May 20: Active community COVID-19 quarantine centre will get one time assistance of Rs 5000 each for taking care of stranded citizens who returned from outside the state.

Announcing this in the floor of the Assembly on the first day of the re-assembled budget session on Wednesday, Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, said that as a support to the village authorities for setting up the quarantine centres, the state government would provide the amount as one time assistance to each active community quarantine centre.

The Chief Minister who was replying to a zero hour notice moved by Nongpoh MLA, Mayralborn Syiem said that the amount would be given from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF).

Syiem urged the government to identify and increase the number of institutional quarantine centres so as to accommodate people who returned from outside the state.

The Chief Minister said that it is next to impossible to keep more than 8000 returnees in institutional quarantine centres of the government and returnees from outside the state who did not show COVID-19 symptoms when they entered the state, they have to complete home quarantine with their family or community quarantine.

The Chief Minister also informed that that those who returned from outside the Northeast, they have to undergo two tests – rapid test and RT-PCR test.

“Those who tested negative through rapid tests are sent for mandatory home quarantine for 14 days with their family and further advised for 14 days self monitoring quarantine. Those tested positive through rapid test, are kept in institutional quarantine and at the same time confirmatory test is conducted through RT-PCR. If they test negative, they are sent to home quarantine, but if tested positive, the health and family welfare department proceeds further as per the SOP for COVID positive patients” he said.