Closing of schools and shops might be used to try and halt the spread of the second wave of Covid-19 in the State, but if these measures are not combined with strict regulation of returnees Meghalaya could face further deterioration of the coronavirus situation, the youth wing of the KHNAM told Highland Post today.
Returnees to the State have made up a high proportion of the new infections this month, a fact confirmed by Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong last week.
“The Deputy CM has confirmed that the rise in Covid cases in the state is from the returnees from outside. Therefore if this segment is not regulated there might come a point where containing the virus will be impossible,” KHNAM youth wing president Thomas Passah said.
“For the welfare of the citizens of the State, we would advise the state authorities to implement curfew in all the entry points to the state, for example from Jorabad to Byrnihat,” he added.
Such a curfew will restrict movement of people and will thus help the government to properly register all individuals entering Meghalaya, he opined.
There have been reports of many returnees switching from tourist taxis to private vehicles with Meghalaya licence plates between Jorabad and Byrnihat, which is before reaching the Umling checkpoint.
With buses, taxis and markets still crowded, Passah said that it looks like the state let its guard down a little too early when it came to Covid-19.
“We don’t want to point fingers at the government or anyone but the fact of the matter remains that maybe the state government and the general public might have let its guard down too early late last year. Therefore we urge the authorities to ensure that preventive measures are implemented before it is too late,” he added.
Ways to reduce the spread of infection other than a blanket lockdown is absolutely essential, the youth leader said, as Meghalaya, where the majority of the population are below the poverty line, would find it hard going if another lockdown was imposed.
