Imphal: Manipur government on Saturday brought back the first batch of 84 persons who were stranded at Manipur Bhawan in Guwahati as part of its evacuation process amid the COVID-19 lockdown.
As per health officials, all the 84 passengers were initially screened and temperature examined at Mao Gate in Senapati district by health experts, before they entered Imphal.
Having found no symptoms for coronavirus at the initial screening, all the 84 passengers, who were brought back home by four buses, have been now kept at a government quarantine centre in Imphal West, said health officials.
The evacuees will spend a night at the quarantine centre and undergo a swab test in pools, with each pool test having five samples.
As per sources, a total of 17 test kits will be utilised for 84 passengers for pool tests and if any of the pool turns out to be COVID-19 positive, then they will test all the five people to identify the infected person.
The test results will come out on Sunday. Accordingly, the health experts will identify those passengers who need to remain at isolation ward for further observation or for home quarantine.
If the results are positive, they will immediately start their treatment at isolation ward in hospitals assigned for COVID-19 treatment. Even those positive but asymptomatic will also be put under isolation ward, as per officials.
Meanwhile, the persons with negative results will be put under quarantine for 14 days as a mandatory action at their respective homes by adopting proper home quarantine guidelines to avoid further spread of COVID-19 in the state.
Earlier, health minister L Jayantakumar Singh informed media persons that the state government has already sought permission from ministry of aviation and home affairs for special chartered flight to evacuate stranded people of Manipur from metro cities.
