Manipur: 2 men who travelled by bus hid COVID-19 positive status, fined

Imphal: Two men from Tamenglong district have been fined in Manipur for concealing their COVID-19 positive status after they travelled by a passenger vehicle from Imphal on Tuesday.

According to district magistrate of Tamenglong, Armstrong Pame, the two individuals have been identified as Maningsibou, 25, of Happy Villa and Gaikhangongliu, 28, from Awangkhul village. They tested positive at Mao Gate in Senapati district, the DM said.

Pame said the two passengers deliberately hid their COVID-19 positive status and boarded a passenger bus from Imphal to Tamenglong while endangering co-passengers in the bus.

A total of five individuals travelled by the said Imphal-Tamenglong passenger bus, out of which two persons tested positive for COVID-19.

Concealing their coronavirus positive status and travelling is a clear violation of the COVID-19 rules and as per the Manipur Epidemic Diseases, COVID-19 2020 Chapter 3-(i), a penalty of Rs 1,000 each is imposed upon the two persons.

The district magistrate further directed to submit the penalty amount at SP Tamenglong, SDM/SDO Office, Tamenglong or DM Office, Tamenglong.

The penalty maybe submitted on their behalf by the family members, failing to do so, the two individuals shall further be prosecuted under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, Pame warned.

The other passengers who travelled on the same bus will now have to undergo mandatory home quarantine for the next 14 days. The bus service (Gaisuakngam) will resume after the premises have been totally sanitised.

As a precautionary measure, no passenger or private vehicles will be allowed to enter the district headquarters after 6 pm as testing facilities would no longer be available, the DM said. However, in case of any private vehicle entering the town from outside the district after 6 pm, a negative report for COVID-19 should be provided for all the passengers.

Meanwhile, following a meeting of the District Task Force chaired by minister Awangbow Newmai on Monday, the district administration has resolved to conduct mandatory COVID-19 tests for all incoming passengers in the district. Two testing camps have been set up for all the persons entering the district via Khongsang Road or via short cut at the checking point at 5^th MR Gate and another at the Bhalok-Junction.

For those persons who are tested positive for COVID-19 upon entering the district, he or she may either go for home isolation or stay at the COVID-19 care center at Tamenglong Higher Secondary School, a statement said.