Manipur: Over 3 lakh 25 thousand people entering the state screened till date, none found symptomatic

Imphal: One of the 1st layers of restricting the spread of COVID-19 pandemic is to thoroughly screen each and every person entering any state in India and looking for symptoms like fever and cough/breathing difficulty, etc and if anybody is found with such symptoms, they are isolated, a detailed investigation is done and if required, they are quarantined or hospitalised.

The state of Manipur is also following the same protocol. The state government till August 7 has screened 3,25,045 people entering the state at all entry points.

Of these 1,06,111 people were screened at Mao border gate, 29,062 at Jiribam border gate, 24,233 train passengers at Jiribam railway station,1,33,021 air passengers at Tulihal International airport, Imphal and 32,609 others entering the state.

But significantly none among them were found with any visual symptoms of COVID-19 when they entered Manipur. Apart from these, the state government has also done a dedicated screening of 66,242 truck drivers and handyman of truck/gas bullets and tankers moving within the state at designated points and only 10 among them were found with visible symptoms of the virus.

The North-Eastern state of Manipur is one of the worst affected with COVID-19 recording 3466 cases so far of which 1926 have recovered and 1530 are still active. The state has also recorded 10 deaths due to COVID-19 so far.

The state government held an emergency Cabinet meeting on 6th August and it was decided that the complete lockdown which was in place in the entire state from July 30 till August 6 should be extended for another 9 days till August 15.

The decision has been taken as newer cases have surfaced in the state which does not have any travel history and the state government is apprehensive that the community spread of the deadly virus has begun. Only emergency services and people related to it are exempted from the purview of the complete lockdown in the state.