Returnees failing to undergo quarantine will be jailed: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh

People returning to Manipur from various parts of the country and abroad will have to undergo mandatory quarantine, failing which they will be arrested and put in jail, Chief Minister N Biren Singh has said.

Singh said those found violating the protocol will be prosecuted under the National Disaster Management Act, 2005.

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"This is a very serious issue. Returnees flouting the protocol will be arrested and put in jail," Singh told reporters on Friday.

He said returnees testing negative for novel coronavirus will be allowed to be home quarantined.

"Our primary task is to prevent community spread of the disease," the chief minister said.

However, those facing inconvenience during home quarantine will be accommodated at community quarantine centres, he said.

Urging people not to panic over the recent rise in the number of active cases to 24, Singh said his government is fully prepared to handle the situation.

He said 200-300 samples are being tested every day at laboratories in state-run RIMS and JNIMS hospitals and 700-800 samples are being collected daily.