India News | Security Personnel Testing COVID-19 Positive Won't Be Allowed to Enter Sikkim: State Govt
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The Sikkim government has decided to allow only those security personnel to enter the Himalayan state who test negative for coronavirus, a senior health official said on Saturday.
Gangtok, Jul 11 (PTI) The Sikkim government has decided to allow only those security personnel to enter the Himalayan state who test negative for coronavirus, a senior health official said on Saturday.
Rapid antigen tests will be conducted exclusively on security personnel, including those from the Army and the paramilitary forces, at the Rangpo border check-post from Saturday onwards, he said.
"Those testing positive for COVID-19 during the rapid antigen tests will not be allowed to enter Sikkim and will be sent back to quarantine centres from where they came," said Director General-cum-Secretary of the Health Department, Dr Pemba T Bhutia.
The measure comes after more than three dozen security personnel posted in the Himalayan state, bordering China, tested positive for COVID-19.
Also Read | Mumbai Fire: Massive Blaze Erupts at Shopping Centre in Borivali West, Likely to be Doused in Next 2 Hours.
Earlier, thermal screening was conducted on everyone including security personnel entering the state through the border check-posts.
The rapid antigen tests, that give results faster, will be conducted for free for the first 15 days, he said.
Meanwhile, eight more people have recovered from COVID-19 in the state, the official said.
Of the 121 COVID-19 cases in the state, 41 are active and 13 patients (Army personnel) have migrated to neighbouring West Bengal, while the remaining people have been cured of the disease, he added.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)