Darjeeling/ Siliguri, 11th March: The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and the district administration held a meeting along with hoteliers, NGOs and transport syndicates at Lalkothi, today. With the district administration and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration already taking different steps as precautionary measures for coronavirus, they will now start self-reporting forms that will have to be filled by the tourists. The self-reporting forms will contain the tourists’ travel history.
Speaking about the self-reporting forms to be started from today onwards, Darjeeling SP Amarnath K stated that when a tourist checks in a hotel then he will have to fill up the self-reporting form in which he will have to mention their travel history. He further stated that they will have to disclose if they have visited the infected areas, recently. The hotel will have to inform the Police and the Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH), if they have such suspected cases, and the CMOH will put them in isolation for further screening.
He further maintained that people should not believe in rumors, regarding the coronavirus, which is currently being circulated in social media. He added that 15 such posts have already been blocked on Facebook.
On the other hand, the GTA has also brought 15,000 masks, while 15,000 more have been ordered, which will be distributed among the drivers in Kalimpong and Darjeeling. It was also decided that additional screening will be started in Simulbari and Manebhanjyang. It was also decided that awareness, regarding the disease, will be raised among the people in the rural areas through self-help groups along with the GTA Information and Culture department. Banners and posters regarding the virus will also be put up in the GTA area. Screening has been conducted at Bagdogra and NJP to date, in which, more than 350 foreigners were screened with no positive cases found.
According to the GTA Principal Secretary Surendra Gupta, the State and District authorities have also visited a lot of areas to create awareness among the public regarding the coronavirus. A total of 263 meetings have also been held in the 37 villages in the Indo-Nepal border where a total of 5,855 people have been screened with no positive cases found. Gupta further maintained that the reports of the 5 suspected cases in the North Bengal Medical Hospital and College turned out to be negative after their samples were sent to NICED Kolkata.