COVID-19 in Sikkim: Rapid Antigen Testing facility at Rangpo to test security personnel only

Guwahati: In a bid to add more teeth to its fight against the COVID-19, the Sikkim Government has inaugurated a Rapid Antigen Testing facility for screenings at the Rangpo screening centre on Saturday, July 11.

It has been reported that the decision comes after more than three dozen security personnel posted in the Himalayan state, bordering China, tested positive for COVID-19. The Rangpo check-post along the Sikkim-West Bengal border is one of the major entry points to the Himalayan state.

The state has witnessed a rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 cases after enjoying a virus-free condition for several months. So far, the state has seen a total of 134 cases, out of which 54 are active cases. Earlier, the Sikkim Government has decided to allow only those security personnel to enter the Himalayan state who test negative for the COVID-19.

However, rapid antigen tests will be conducted exclusively on security personnel, including those from the Army and the paramilitary forces, at the Rangpo border check-post from Saturday onwards, the Sikkim Government has decided.

Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang, who flagged off the facility amid fanfare, was briefed about the testing protocol by senior officers of the Health Department of the state.

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