Meghalaya starts preparing for Covid-19 vaccine amid festive season

With the Covid-19 vaccine trials picking up pace, Meghalaya is putting in place protocols to ensure that the process of immunisation is streamlined while keeping in mind the safety of citizens especially during the ensuing festive season.

A detailed review meeting on the state’s Covid-19 situation was convened by chief minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday evening following which he stated, “Keeping in mind the festive season, which has already begun…it is important that we come up with basic guidelines if necessary protocols, to ensure that people are safe because during festive season, we do tend to let down our guards.”

Sangma said the state government will also be holding consultations with the different stakeholders. “The deputy commissioners will be asked to hold meetings with different stakeholders to get their feedback after which, within a week’s time, we will be able to come up with guidelines for this festive season,” he said.

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Urging citizens to strictly follow laid down protocols, the CM said, “Christmas time is a time where we all are in a festive mood. So I would urge that whatever maintain discipline and keep in mind the safety aspects.”

Referring to the decline in the number of cases in the state, the chief minister said, “It is a good message but it is important that we don’t let our guards down by always ensuring that protocols are maintained.”

On the proposed vaccination programme, Sangma said the Prime Minister has clearly directed all the states to ensure that the necessary system and logistics are in place to implement the vaccination process as and when the vaccines are approved by the scientists and overall regulatory authorities.

Sangma said medical and frontline workers will be the first to be immunised. “Therefore, it will be slightly a more structured and easier process because most of them will be able to go to the closest health centres for vaccination,” he said.

Asserting that the state is ready to implement the programme, Sangma said all deputy commissioners have been asked to ensure the manpower and infrastructure are put in place.