The leader admitted that the state's anti-Covid rules on movement of people had been stringent (File)
Meghalaya has modified its COVID-19 rules to facilitate movement of traders into the state, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said on Wednesday. Now businessmen will have to undergo coronavirus testing once in 10 days. The quarantine rules for people temporarily leaving or entering the state have also been revised.
Mr Tynsong said the government has discussed the issue after concerns were raised by several organizations from Assam over inter-state movement. Recently, as many as 40 outfits from Assam had threatened to block all routes going into Garo Hills in Meghalaya from October 29 over the matter.
The leader admitted that the state's anti-Covid rules on movement of people had been stringent.
"All asymptomatic persons going out of Meghalaya for a short duration of 5 days or less shall, on return, be exempted from quarantine if tested RAT negative at entry. They shall provide a valid travel document in the form of an air/rail ticket or taxi voucher or any other evidence validating such travel," he told reporters.
Those tested positive will be sent for isolation as per the state's anti-coronavirus norms, he added.
"All entrants with a negative RT-PCR/TruNat/CBNAAT report and not having any symptoms will be exempted from quarantine and can proceed with their daily activities normally.
"All entrants tested by RT-PCR at the entry point should go into home quarantine or paid quarantine till the test results are declared. The test results are usually available within 48 hours. If tested negative, which shall be communicated through an SMS or can be checked online at www.coronamegh.in. Such individuals can carry on with their daily activities or work normally," he said.
Meghalaya is one of the least affected states with just over 80 deaths because of the disease.