COVID-19 in Meghalaya: BSF headquarter at Umpling declared as Containment Zone

Guwahati: The entire Frontier Headquarters Border Security Force (BSF) campus at Umpling in Shillong has been declared as a Containment Zone by the East Khasi Hills district administration after 38 jawans tested COVID-19 positive in a single day.

War Nongbri, the District Magistrate has issued a set of measures that out to be followed in the Containment Zone area until the declared as 'safe' again and the order is withdrawn.

During this period, no person or public shall be allowed to move into the containment area and inhabitants within the Containment area shall not move out. Moreover, all the inhabitants of the containment zone have been instructed to stay inside their houses. During this phase, no gatherings, events, functions whatsoever of any nature and forms shall be allowed in the premises, and no social, political, religious, economic activities are allowed either.

The order also ordered the closure of government and private institutions and shopping establishments, with immediate effect, till further orders. The notice further stated that the Block Development of Mawpat/Incident Commander of Zone V shall be the supervising officer of the Ftr HQr BSF Campus in Umpling.

The East Khasi Hill district administration will arrange for the supply of medicine and other essentials for the residents of the Containment Zone, the order stated.

Meanwhile, the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) has shut down hospital services, including OPD and emergency services, till further orders. This decision was taken after a BSF jawan from the Umpling campus tested positive for COVID-19.

Altogether, 65 BSF personnel have tested positive in Meghalaya to date, sending the number of active cases soaring to 95. Currently, Meghalaya registered 142 positive cases which include 95 active cases, 45 recovered, and 2 deaths.

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