Guwahati:
Gift hampers are now being readied for citizens from Nagaland's Mokokchung who are finally starting to return home after being stuck in other parts of the country amid the coronavirus-triggered lockdown that has now entered its fourth phase.
These hampers, prepared by the Research and Communication Committee of the Mokokchung Covid-19 Task Force, are to be given to the returnees who will head for mandatory quarantine.
"In it you will find some items which have been gifted by people who have been praying for your safe arrival. The Bible has been gifted to you by Gideon International in the hope that you will find comfort and nourishment in the daily reading of God's holy words. The washable facemask has been stitched with love by our own mothers and volunteers from the Mokokchung Mask Campaign. I hope it will remind you of the love and comfort that can only be found in the prayer of a mother. The face shield has been made and gifted through the local face-shield project of the District task Force. I hope you will wear it along with the mask when you have to come into personal contact with anyone. They have been tested and approved by the medical doctors. The Bible verses and posters have been prayfully made by the CCF Sunday School children, MTBA under the banner 'Mokokchung Rainbows'. We hope you would paste the Bible verse/poster in your room and find comfort and encouragement from the warm gestures of the little ones", the committee said in a message, elucidating about the content of the hampers.
Apart from these hampers, the Mokokchung Task Force has also initiated a slew of measures aimed at bringing smiles to the people during the process of quarantine. A professional counseling helpline numbers for clinical counseling as well as spiritual counseling has also been activated and a list has been pasted in the quarantine rooms. "In addition, we also have a host of prayer warriors and church leaders who are daily praying for the well-being of all our students and people stranded outside our state", the committee said.
The Mokokchung administration has also deploted sanitation teams, medical teams, food catering teams and volunteers working together for Mokokchung. "In case you face some discomfort or have any grievances, you can right away call the Grievances Cell helpline numbers, a list of which have been pasted on the walls in your room", the Task Force Committee said to the quarantine centre residents.
The Mokokchung administration has also started a Radio Series in collaboration with the All India Radio Mokokchung where they are broadcasting sensitization programs on COVID-19 alongwith a website where the quarantined folks can register their details (https://sites.google.com/view/sweethomemkg).
Meanwhile, the District Task Force COVID-19 Mokokchung has decided that all interstate returnees will be institutionally quarantined for 14 days followed by another 14 days of home quarantine. "It is our sincere prayer that, tomorrow when we look back at the battles we are fighting today, we will be thankful for the decision we made", the Committee wrote in a communique."
Who goes to Quarantine in Nagaland?
Government of Nagaland has now declared that from May 18 onwards, all who enter the state must go for mandatory institutional quarantine for 14 days, irrespective of their place of origin of journey. An official notice issued from the Chief Secretary's office said, "It is hereby ordered that all persons entering the state from 18th May 2020 onwards, irrespective of place of origin of journey shall undergo mandatory 14 (fourteen) days Institutional Quarantine at the designated centers and thereafter proceed for 14 (fourteen) days mandatory Home Quarantine."
The notice further informed that in respect of persons below the age of 60 years, children below the age of 10 years and parents and pregnant women and accompanying spouse, shall be thoroughly screened and on the advice of the Medical Team at the Quarantine Centre, be sent for mandatory home quarantine for 28 days with "active surveillance." However, this will not apply for those persons who have entered the state before May 18 from orange or green zones and have not crossed red zones on their way.