The Sikkim government would
bring back thousands of stranded people, including students and patients, from outside the state once the lockdown is lifted, officials said on Thursday.
The strategy to facilitate the return of the people was discussed at the State Task Force meeting presided over by Chief Secretary SC Gupta, they said.
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The state government is aware of a large number of students, patients and other Sikkimese people stranded outside since the state was put under lockdown amid the outbreak of COVID-19, Gupta said.
All those stranded people will be brought back to Sikkim once the lockdown is lifted, he said.
Additional Chief Secretary, Education, GP Upadhyaya shared the details of Sikkimese students who are stranded outside the state and presented a plan for setting up quarantine facilities for lodging the students after they return.
Likewise, Director General-cum-Secretary of Health PT Bhutia apprised the chief secretary about the details of patients stranded outside and said that a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been prepared for screening and testing the people returning to the state.
The District Collectors and officers from all four districts apprised the chief secretary about logistics to be put in place for quarantining the people coming from outside.
The chief secretary stressed on the need to ensure all safety protocols while selecting and preparing the quarantine facilities and directed for preparation of an online registration system at the earliest to facilitate the return of the people.
Gupta said that the entry of people from Rangpo and Melli check posts will strictly be based on the online self- declaration forms filled by each individual and added that this step was required to identify and regulate the entry of all incoming local people.
Sikkim has not reported any case of COVID-19 so far.
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