Dimapur, April 13 (MExN): With the detection of first positive case of COVID-19 in Nagaland on April 12, the Dimapur Ao Youth Organization (DAYO) today questioned the state government’s failure to maintain strict quarantine procedures for people entering into the state after the national lockdown was imposed.
Why were the people who recently arrived from outside the state not quarantined at the Government arranged quarantine facilities?, DAYO further posed in a press release from its Media Cell.
It further wondered whether these quarantine Centres were established only to “appease the public that the government is going something.”
DAYO further maintained that the latest case has shown “a lack of transparency and accountability that led to the unfortunate case of the first COVID-19 positive case.”
Further, the lack of testing facilities and pre-screening kits in Nagaland has been glaringly exposed by the ‘infected’ individual being given two false negatives only to be later given a positive on being tested outside, the organization claimed.
“All samples sent by the state Government declared negative has put the whole process suspicious and inefficient and therefore the Government should quarantine them in the established quarantine Centres immediately,” it added.
It further alleged that a businessman who arrived in Dimapur on April 2 and who should have been quarantined for 14 days, participated in a charity program on April 11 and seen along with photo with taken with prominent leaders and politicians.
“This proves the total callousness and lackadaisical attempts of the state Government in its efforts to control the spread of this terrible pandemic,” it added.
In this connection, the DAYO urged the state Government to properly monitor and immediately seal all the porous entry points into Dimapur or Nagaland in the “united efforts to fight this pandemic.”
Meanwhile, stating that the DAYO has learned that different Government Institutions and other local bodies/NGOs has been putting in their best efforts in producing hand sanitizers and face masks for the government, it noted that these items “should also reach the common people free of cost.”
“It would be wise on the part of the Government of Nagaland to maintain full transparency in matters relating to this crisis, be it on financial issues or health issues during this unprecedented crisis,” it added.
