Guwahati/Agartala/Aizawl, March 21 (IANS): The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has further stepped up screening and testing passengers in the 12 operational airports in north-eastern region for coronavirus, officials said on Saturday.
As per the health and other officials, no positive coronavirus case has appeared in the eight north-eastern states, including Sikkim, yet.
AAI's Regional Executive Director (NER) Sanjeev Jindal said screening of passengers -- including by infrared thermometers -- has been further intensified at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport and at 11 other airports in the north-eastern states.
"The airport in Guwahati is the only one in the northeast to operate flights to Singapore and Bhutan but the government has already barred the operation of the international flights," he told IANS.
"North-East is the only region of India which is the safest zone. We are trying our best to remain in that category."
"We are vigorously sanitising the aircraft, terminal and other buildings, all types of gadgets and furniture. Airport staff and security personnel while working day and night have also taken preventive measures," said Jindal
There are 12 airports operational in the north-eastern region. These include Guwahati, Silchar, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Tezpur (all in Assam), Tezu and Pasighat (Arunachal Pradesh), Agartala (Tripura), Imphal (Manipur), Shillong (Meghalaya), Dimapur (Nagaland) and Lengpui (Mizoram).
Budget carrier GoAir, which had earlier suspended its operations for 28 days in some north-eastern states, including Mizoram, in view of coronavirus scare and ensuing travel restrictions, has withdrawn its suspension.
In Mizoram, the state government has in a notification said that 50 per cent of Group B, C and D employees are required to attend office every day, and the remaining 50 per cent staff should be instructed to work from home.
"The officials who are working from home on a particular day as per the roster should be available on telephone and electronic means of communication at all times. They should attend office, if called for any exigency of work," said the notification, issued on Friday night.
Officials also said that the ongoing week-long budget session of the Tripura assembly would be cut short after holding the session on Monday.
Assam asks schools to continue teaching via WhatsApp during shutdown
The Assam government on Saturday directed the schools to provide students with course materials and give them homework through WhatsApp to prevent learning gaps and subsequent dropouts during the closure of educational institutes due to the coronavirus outbreak, officials said.
The Education Department asked the schools to create WhatsApp groups with guardians of the students for this purpose, an official said.
The department also asked teachers to make short videos on topics in the syllabi and upload them in the WhatsApp groups, he said.
It asked the teachers to assist students with studies over the phone or WhatsApp from 7 am to 9 am and 7 pm to 9 pm, besides making home visits, the official said.
The department also asked the schools to use technologies like Google Classroom in future, the official said.
It asked the schools to create classwise WhatsApp groups in the educational institutes where students and teachers are more in number, he said.
The department directed the schools to identify local youths with smartphones to assist the guardians who do not own such phones, the official said.
All educational institutes in the state have been shut till March 31.
Three airlines suspend flights to Assam
Private airlines SpiceJet and IndiGo and Bhutan's flag carrier Druk Airways have suspended their flights to airports in Assam in wake of the coronavirus outbreak, a top AAI official said on Saturday.
However, all 12 airports in the Northeast will remain open during the 'Janata Curfew' scheduled on Sunday, Airports Authority of India (AAI) Regional Executive Director for the region, Sanjeev Jindal said.
Druk Airways suspended its flight from Bhutan's Paro to Singapore via Guwahati from Saturday till March 29, he said.
SpiceJet suspended its four flights from Kolkata to Assam's Guwahati and Dibrugarh from March 24 till March 30, while IndiGo cancelled its Agartala-Chennai flight via Guwahati from Sunday till March 28, the official said.
Jindal told reporters that airports being an essential service will remain operational during the 'Janata Curfew'.
"All 12 airports in the Northeast will remain functional with most flights operating. We have spoken to taxi operators, unions and associations and they have assured us to run their services," he said.
So far, not a single case of coronavirus infection has been reported in the Northeast, the official said.
"We are trying our best to remain in that category. We are conducting the screening of passengers with assistance from state governments.
"We are sanitising the airports and providing necessary equipment to CISF and airlines personnel," Jindal added.
Rural, urban local body polls put on hold in Arunachal Pradesh
The State Election Commission of Arunachal Pradesh has decided to temporarily put on hold the municipal and panchayat elections in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, an official said on Saturday.
The commission had announced that the elections would be held in April-May this year but the dates were not finalised.
"Conducting of elections will entail a large number of public gatherings, campaigns and rallies at various locations in the state," State Election Commissioner Hage Kojeen said.
"It will be detrimental and harmful for the public health due to the possible spread of COVID-19," he said.
Also, the state government issued a notification on March 16, banning public gatherings and congregations till April 5 to prevent the spread of Covid-19, Kojeen said.
The decision was taken here on Friday in response to the state government's plea, besides requests from various political parties, to hold elections only after a thorough assessment of the prevailing situation arising out of the coronavirus scare, the commissioner said.
Kojeen said the state's Health department and several political parties have already requested the poll panel to consider postponing the elections to the urban civic bodies and the panchayats until the situation improves.
"The commission will make further assessment in consultation with the stakeholders, especially the Health department, for taking a decision on the matter," Kojeen said.
The panchayat elections, along with the polls to the Itanagar and Pasighat municipal councils, are due since May, 2018.
Amid the growing coronavirus scare, the state government had announced closure of schools and educational institutions, cinema halls, night clubs and weekly markets till April 5, and appealed to the people to avoid any gathering and congregation.
The government has also stopped issuing inner line permits (ILPs) and Protected Area Permits (PAP) to foreign tourists till further notice as part of its measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, Governor Brig (retd) Dr B D Mishra has appealed to the people of the state not to panic, but take precautions.
"Let all my fellow Arunachalis rest assured that our state government has fully stocked the essential supplies in the state. All anti-coronavirus measures are also in place.
"All necessary preventive measures are being progressively taken for stopping the spread of Covid-19," the governor said in a message.
"I appeal to every citizen of that it is important that we observe the 'Janta Curfew' on March 22, as appealed and asked for by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Let us also abide by the prime minister's call for thanking and appreciating the effort of essential services workers...," he added.
A total of 68,172 passengers have been screened at various check posts in the state by health workers in coordination with police and administrative officers till Friday, officials said.
No Covid-19 positive case has so far been detected in the state, they said.