AGARTALA, May 16 - Amid the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the State, the Tripura Government has decided to enforce home quarantine in a stringent manner to break the chain of infection.
The decision came in the wake of 11 more persons testing positive today, taking the COVID-19 tally in the State to 165, which is the highest among the North Eastern States.
Among the new cases, seven are from the BSF�s 86th battalion, while four are civilians from the Churaibari Gate in North Tripura (two drivers from other State and two persons who returned from Guwahati), Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said.
Two stranded persons, who were scheduled to leave for the State from Maharashtra today in a special train, tested COVID-19 positive, prompting the authority to cancel the scheduled train journey.
The special train was supposed to evacuate more than 1,500 people of Tripura from Maharashtra.
The Chief Minister chaired a high-level meeting to review the preparedness to fight against the pandemic. At the meeting, a decision was taken to create more treatment and quarantine facilities as the situation may worsen in the days to come.
The Government has decided to send all returnees to strict home quarantine even if they are found to be asymptomatic.
�If anybody under home quarantine is found to be venturing out, he or she will be sent to jail quarantine. If the situation arises, jail quarantine facilities will be created in the districts too,� said an official.
Sources said more than 30,000 persons stranded in various States like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Assam and West Bengal are scheduled to return in the next few days by special trains, buses and other vehicles. Most importantly, many of the stranded persons are returning to their home State from hotspots, which has made the State Government jittery.
Altogether 2,435 persons are under home quarantine, while 300 are lodged in quarantine facilities. A total of 13,172 samples were collected for testing so far, of which 12,561 have been tested till date.
Forty-two positive patients have recovered in the State and there has been no fatality yet.
