The Mizoram government is makingarrangements to bring back about 700 Mizo people stranded in four states of the northeastern region between April 30 and May 2, Chief Minister Zoramthanga said on Tuesday.In a video message, Zoramthanga said, the state government had approached the Union Home Ministry with the proposal following which the MHA had advised it to consult the respective state governments."As per the MHA advice, we contacted all the respective state governments, which gave its consent to the proposal for bring back the stranded people," he said.The duration of the process to bring them back may extend beyond May 2 if it is not completed within the scheduled time, he said.The chief minister said about 693 people of the state are stranded in Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura.About 154 Mizos are stranded in Assam, 318 in Manipur, 201 in Meghalaya and 20 in Tripura due to the nationwide lockdown imposed from March 25.According to the chief minister, the returnees will be put under quarantine for 14 days at the nearest designated quarantine facility after undergoing medical screening or rapid test.They will be placed under home quarantine after being discharged from institutional quarantine facilities and if anybody tests positive during screening they would be sent to designated Covid-19 hospital for treatment, he said.Zoramthanga also said that the government would arrange vehicles for the stranded people who do not have vehicles, and those who posses private vehicles will be allowed to return on their own.He iterated that Mizoram would go by what the Centre decides on extension of the ongoing lockdown, imposed to contain the spread of novel coronavirus."Though Mizoram has detected only one case so far, the state is still vulnerable to the virus due to cases in neighbouring states and strict vigilance should be maintained along the borders," he said.Zoramthanga also thanked doctors, frontline workers, NGOs, village or local level task forces and other stakeholders for their effort to contain the spread of novel coronavirus in the state.
