The Mizoram government on Monday made home quarantine mandatory for incoming passengers at the state’s designated facilities in its effort to contain the global outbreak and spread of coronavirus in the state, an official said on Monday.

A state health department official said a meeting of departmental secretaries was held here on Monday.

The meeting decided to put all passengers coming from coronavirus-affected states and countries under mass quarantine at government-designated quarantine facilities to prevent the spread of the disease in the state, he said.

He said passengers came by flights and landed at Lengpui airport from coronavirus-affected states like Maharashtra, Kerala, New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Punjab.

Those who came from abroad will undergo screening supervised by medical experts at the airport after which they will be immediately sent to quarantine at designated facilities at Lengpui near the airport.

After their initial stay at the quarantine facility, they will be examined to see if they are eligible for quarantine at their homes in consultation with a local-level task force of their respective localities, the official said.

It also decided to quarantine 57 passengers, mostly students, who returned from Guwahati by bus on Monday at a quarantine facility at Vairengte in Kolasib district on the Mizoram-Assam border.

In case of shortage of space, the passengers will be sent to other quarantine facilities within Kolasib district, the meeting said.

Meanwhile, the state-wide partial lockdown entered the second day on Monday.

Strict vigilance was maintained across the state during which public movement or assembly of people was strictly prohibited.

However, shops selling essential commodities were open between 9am and noon.

Sources said some residents, who were loitering on the streets, were warned by volunteers on duty to stay indoors.

The police said the lockdown was total as people stayed indoors and vehicles were off the road except those for officials on duty, media persons and medical emergency.

On Sunday, Chuaungo had said all the entry points along the inter-state and international borders have been completely sealed except at Vairengte.

He said those vehicles transporting essential commodities and stranded residents from outside the state are allowed to enter the state.

The chief secretary also said supply of essential commodities is unlikely to be hit by the partial lockdown, which will continue till March 29.

While appreciating the preventive efforts made by colleges and Mizoram University, higher and technical education minister R. Lalthangliana instructed the authorities to continue imparting of education to the students online.

Earlier, the state government closed all educational institutions to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the state.

Airport shut

The Mizoram government on Monday decided to shut lone Lengpui airport from Tuesday until further orders, an official said.