Coronavirus scare: Arunachal sets up control room, activates

The Arunachal Pradesh government said on Thursday that it has set up a control room and also activated rapid response teams amid the coronavirus scare.

Responding to apprehensions of MLAs in the assembly, state Health and Family Welfare Minister Alo Libang said in a statement that there is nothing to panic but asked the people to be alert.

Informing that no cases of COVID-19 have been detected in Arunachal Pradesh and other Northeastern states, Libang said that all the deputy commissioners have been directed to conduct regular meetings with the district medical officers and frequently review the preparedness.

"24x7 control room has been set up at the state Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) for responding to any queries on coronavirus. The state and districts have rapid response teams to act as first responders for any cases, if detected in the state," he said.

The minister said that isolation wards with minimum of two beds in the district and general hospitals have been readied, besides five beds at Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS) in Naharlagun and Baken Pertin General Hospital at Pasight in the East Siang district.

People coming from outside the state are being screened, he said.

"For testing of suspected cases, we have with us the sample collection kits, which have been supplied by ICMR Dibrugarh in Assam and the testing will be done at Guwahati Medical College Hospital," the minister said.