Meghalaya hotels to reopen from July 1, announces Deputy CM Prestone Tynsong

Guwahati: Meghalaya Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong today informed hotels in the State will be re-opened from July 1.

At the end of a review meeting that was held today, Prestone Tynsong informed that the decision to re-open the state's hotels has been taken after receiving inputs from the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of Meghalaya after a series of discussions and deliberations.

He further informed that the Meghalaya Government will now issue the protocols and SOPs on the re-opening of the hotels which will need to be adhered to strictly owing to the pandemic situation across the globe.

Tynsong has also urged people not to travel to Guwahati that has recently witnessed a boom in Covid-19 cases and will soon be placed under complete lockdown. People should only visit for "emergency cases", Tynsong told media.

It may be mentioned here that the Meghalaya Government had earlier directed the DCs of all the 11 districts to consult with all the stakeholders down to the village level on the reopening of hotels and tourist spots after an extended lockdown brought into effect to contain the spread of the infection.

In a latest development, an individual who had traveled to Meghalaya from Assam has tested COVID-19 positive on Friday. With this, the total number of active cases in the state has reached 4.

In needs mention here that owing to the special circumstance, the Meghalaya Government has approved the draft notification for waiving off 50% of the tuition fee in all the schools run by the Government. If the fees are already paid, it will be adjusted accordingly, said Tynsong.

The decision will be effective for April, May, and June in all government-aided, deficit pattern and deficit schools, Tynsong said, further adding that private schools, including those run by missionaries, will not collect any other fees except tuition fees for these three months.

Additionally, Tynsong said that the Government has issued a directive to all the proprietors and owners of private-run hostels not to charge rent during the lockdown period (from April 1 onwards).

Meanwhile, India on Friday registered its biggest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases, recording 17,296 infections in the last 24 hours, while the number of fatalities has risen to 15,301. 407 deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours.

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