Our Correspondent
Kohima, July 6 (EMN): The community-based home quarantine centres at Diphupar village in Dimapur have hosted more than hundred returnees since they were set up two months ago, and dozens more are expected to join the facilities.
In a bid to ease the burden of the state government in containing the spread of the novel coronavirus, different communities and churches in Diphupar decided to set up as many as nine home quarantine centres to accommodate its residents released from institutional quarantine centres.
For this, they temporarily converted schools, community halls and church guest houses into home quarantine centres situated within the village jurisdiction to facilitate returnees from Diphupar. Also realising the risk factors involved while travelling to one's respective district for undergoing home quarantine, they arranged the facilities to shelter incoming inmates from government centres.
According to the data provided by I Wati Lemtur, convenor of Village Level Vigilance and Monitoring Cell Covid-19 (VLV & MC) of Diphupar village, and secretary of VLV & MC B E Winnerson Lotha, a total of 82 returnees have 14-day community/ home quarantine within Diphupar, Covid-19 positive cases stand at two and three have recovered.
It informed that Diphupar village is expecting 212 returnees (115 female and 97 male), out of which 136 have already arrived and 76 are yet to arrive. It went on to inform that the total number of returnees under government institutional and paid quarantine within Dimapur is 14, while those under community/home quarantine within Diphupar are 36 and four returnees had migrated to Kohima and Mon for community/home quarantine.
It was informed that the village provides conveyance to ferry the returnees from facility quarantine to community-based quarantine centres through their own ambulance in order to reduce the risks of spreading the coronavirus infection.
People from different Naga tribes and communities, including Hindus, Muslims and Gurkhas reside in Diphupar village, so a dedicated quarantine centre has been arranged to cater to the needs of non-Naga returnees, it was informed, adding that contributions from well-wishers and various churches have helped run the facilities.
Winnerson informed that personal protective equipment (PPE), disinfectants, face masks, gloves, etc. are made available in all the facilities for safety.
Diphupar village has been receiving their inmates from government quarantine centres since May 17. The village task force for Covid-19 is said to be constantly in touch with all the returnees and keeping track of their health status and well-being.