The Assam government has received 480 people, stranded along the Assam-Bengal border, till Thursday, and sent them to quarantine centres after screening.
Most of the people were stranded at the checkpoints at Boxirhat, adjacent to Dhubri district and Srirampur, adjacent to Kokrajhar district, trying to enter Assam. The state government will receive around 700 people who either work outside the state or were travelling and got stuck in Bengal after the announcement of the nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Working as labourers and workers in industries, factories and offices in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Maharashtra, they hail from Nagaon, Morigaon, Karbi Anglong, Bongaigaon, Dhubri, Barpeta, Sonitpur and other districts. They were either given leave by their employers or left for home in fear. Around 41 are pilgrims.
Kokrajhar superintendent of police Rakesh Roushan told The Telegraph, “All these people arrived at the inter-state checkgates from Wednesday. We have received around 180 people and another 200 will reach within 24 hours. All of them have been screened and kept in quarantine with necessary medical attention and basic facilities.”
Dhubri police have quarantined around 305 people who entered from Bengal. Dhubri superintendent of police Yuvraj said all of them have been kept under medical surveillance for 14 days with regular health check-ups.
Health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “All people coming to the state from outside will be quarantined and the state government is building a quarantine centre for them where they will be under round-the-clock medical supervision.”
He said the state government would make watertight arrangements along the borders with Mizoram and Manipur where positive cases have been detected. A 23-year-old girl from Manipur and a 50-year-old man from Mizoram, both of whom returned from abroad, have tested positive for Covid-19. People coming from other states are being stamped and made to undergo home quarantine for 14 days. Assam police have said that those found violating the mandatory 14-day home quarantine would be booked.
