Authorities in Mirik have decided to restrict people’s travel to the plains, set up checking points to sanitise vehicles and encourage local purchases in order to prevent the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the hill town.

The measures were decided on at a meeting convened by Mirik subdivisional officer Ashwini Roy with representatives of the local municipality and trade bodies.

The measures were planned in the wake of rising number of Covid-19 patients in Siliguri where Mirik residents travel to buy food grains, medicines and other essential commodities every day.

Siliguri and Mirik are located 50km apart.

So far, only a resident of Soureni Bazar near Mirik has been found to be infected with the coronavirus. He had returned from new Delhi in May.

The SDO said shopowners would be asked to sanitise their goods once they were unloaded from vehicles.

“We have decided to raise two check-posts, one at Dudhia and the other at Aley Ground near Krishnanagar, to disinfect all vehicles and goods. Traders have decided to keep the market open from 9am to 1pm. Every shopowner and local people will have to strictly follow social distancing and sanitisation norms,” Roy said.

According to the SDO, around 1,600 residents of the subdivision have already returned home from outside.

As of now, around 400 people are staying at 136 quarantine centres in the subdivision.

“We have appealed to the residents not to move out of the subdivision to avoid contamination. The markets will be sanitised from Saturday,” L.B. Rai, the chairman of the Mirik municipality, said.