Manipur tightens borders, travellers without Covid test results stopped at Mao Gate

Our Reporter
Dimapur, April 19 (EMN): In view of the surge in Covid-19 cases in the country, the government of Manipur has tightened its borders by disallowing travellers without negative test result of the virus from entering the state.

The state police have started checking vehicles entering the state at Mao Gate as a measure to contain the spread of the virus in the state.

‘At Mao Gate, state police stop wingers and buses and passengers without Covid-19 negative test results are politely asked to go back. They have been informed that they will be welcomed if they come with negative test result,’ read the caption of a picture shared by Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on social media.

The state’s deputy secretary of Health and Family Welfare, Soiminlian Lengen, had on April 15 issued an order stating that ‘anyone entering Manipur, whether by air or by road, and irrespective of place of origin, shall be allowed entry only on mandatory production of a negative Covid-19 test report taken within 72 hours from arrival in the state, starting on April 18’.

It also instructed the army and CAPF units to arrange Covid-19 testing of their personnel entering Manipur.

On April 19, the director of Health Services, Manipur, Dr. K Rajo Singh, issued a warning notice to the Airport authorities and Managers of Imphal Airport for carrying passengers without negative Covid-19 test report.

The letter informed that on April 18, as many as 269 passengers out of total 1102 passengers arrived at Imphal airport via Air India, Air Asia and Indigo flights without prescribed Covid-19 tests reports, which is a clear non-compliance of the government order.

It asked various agencies to strictly comply with the government order and refrain from carrying such passengers, failing which it warned of penalising the agencies.