Gangtok: So far, Sikkim is the only state in the
country without a single reported positive case of COVID 19. This is
largely due to two factors: early preparedness and discipline.
While the rest of the world was arguing over the legitimacy of the
pandemic, Sikkim had authorised screening of all individuals entering
the HimalayansState as early as January 29 with over 6 lakh individuals
screened as of April 18. The same has paid dividends – after 80 samples
were sent for testing, all results came back as negative.This is despite
the fact that the state does not have its own COVID-19 testing lab or
viral lab, which has been one of the foremost demands of the state to
the Centre.
Now, the state is prepared to partially lift the lockdown from April
20 on, while keeping its borders sealed and imposing a ban on inter and
intra-state travel till May 3.
Sikkim was best suited to fight the pandemic owing to its landlocked
geography but the same posed a threat since Sikkim has three countries
as its neighbours – China in the north, Nepal in the west and Bhutan in
the east.
“With the virus outbreak in China and its early spread in Nepal in
January, Sikkim sealed its borders specifically the Nathu La border with
China, putting an embargo on locals, domestic and foreign tourists from
visiting border regions. We also laid focus on sealing the porous
borders with Nepal in the West keeping only two borders at Rangpo and
Melli as entry and exit points with West Bengal,” chief minister Prem
Singh Golay said.
With the virus steadily making its entry into the country, the state
administration deputed health professionals at its borders for thermal
screening, along with the state police to keep a strict vigil on
Sikkimese people returning to the state from various cities of the
country. The self-declaration on travel history was a pre-requisite for
anyone wishing to come back home. Irrespective of citizens having
foreign travel history or not, the state quarantined returning
individuals for 14 to 28 days.
With the declaration of the pandemic, the state banned foreign
travellers as early as March 5 and subsequently domestic tourists on
March 17.
The lockdown declared by the state came at a time when tourism season
– the state’s economic backbone – was at its peak. To put things into
perspective, in March 2019, there was an inflow of 1,18,000 tourists in
Sikkim.
Despite the lockdown being imposed, the state has a major dependency
on the rest of the country for essential commodities, medical aids and
testing labs. The state health department had been sending its samples
to Kolkata and Guwahati initially, but with the North Bengal Medical
College and Hospital opening its COVID-19 lab in Siliguri, the samples
were ferried 120 km away. The COVID-19 lab in the state is currently
under construction and will only be functional in the next three months.
Alarms were raised when the neighbouring Kalimpong district in North
Bengal reported its first COVID-19 positive death in the first week of
April. Subsequently, six other positive cases came up in the district
town, 70 km away from Gangtok. This prompted the Sikkim health
department to track down 320 other passengers who had commuted on the
same flight as the Kalimpong patient from Chennai to Bagdogra in late
March.
“We tracked down a dozen people who had deboarded from the flight
towards Sikkim, all of them were traced within 24 hours. We found out
that six people were under home quarantine while six others had been
placed in the government facility quarantine. We had a devoted
surveillance team inclusive of doctors and medical practitioners along
with police and administration for tracking of patients hiding their
travel history. The local people in villages also took up the task of
informing officials of such violators and we were able to track down
many who had been hiding their travel history, subsequently putting them
under quarantine,” stated Sikkim Health Director General Dr. Pempa
Tshering Bhutia.
With positive cases rising in North Bengal and migrant workers taking
to the roads across the country, Sikkim police took up the task of
sealing its borders all along the Kalimpong border and Rangpo river belt
with concertina wires.
“We are sealing the borders not merely for our safety, but also to
keep our neighbours safe. There is dependency on either regions of the
border for basic essential items to even social exchanges, but sealing
the borders keeps both the regions safe. µigrant workers in Sikkim also
attempted to cross the border to reach for their homes, but we returned
them from Rangpo as we must not put pressure on Bengal as well. The
rules are strict under the NDMA act and there is a precursor to remain
wherever you are and not move about,” stated DIG Range Sonam Tenzing
Bhutia.
The implementation of the rules at the borders has been so strict
that a reported case of a high court judge in the state, who secured an
e-pass from the East District administration, was cancelled when it was
learned that he was using his vehicle to ferry his family members from
West Bengal to Sikkim. The Sub-Divisional Magistrate at Rangpo border
intervened in the matter and the vehicle returned empty.
Further, all vehicles bringing essential commodities and medical aid
to the state are being sanitised before making their journey inward.
Transit camps for such truckers and drivers commuting from far flung
states have also been set up in every district, while those from West
Bengal have been strictly instructed to return on the same day after
delivery.
Cumulatively, over 3,560 people have been put under quarantine at
home and another 119 are at government facilities. Over 1,150 people
screened at fever clinics as of April 19.
With such success, the state has considered partially lifting the
lockdown. “Sikkim has a habit of welcoming anything good and new with
open arms, the lockdown was well respected by the people with 99% of the
people adhering to it, staying indoors all along from March 17. Now
with 80 samples coming in as negative, it is safe to say that Sikkim’s
fight against the pandemic has been a success and the only threat we
have is from outside the state now,” said chief secretary S.C. Gupta.
The lift on the lockdown means Section 144 will still be in play till
May 3 with strict prohibition on assembly of people, public transport,
inter and intra-state movement. The access for border movements is
allowed only to health workers and officials while most of the
administration will function with one-third to half the manpower. Banks,
Factories, construction works and farmers have also been given the
green signal.
“Following the lift on the lockdown from May 3, there will be a huge
rush of Sikkimese people stranded in other states making their way home.
We have set a pre-requisite that they must register themselves under
Aarogya Setu App launched by the Centre. The app will help in contact
tracing while also facilitating their return to the state with a
self-declaration that they are free of the virus,” stated Gupta.
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