Churches in Mizoram have offered their halls to be used as quarantine centres for managing the COVID-19 situation in the state.
At least 108 local churches belonging to Presbyterian Church have offered halls to be used as quarantine facilities.
Besides, 32 local churches from BCM, 16 from SA, seven from LIBK, two each from ECM, United Pentecostal Church (NEI) and United Pentecostal Church (Mizoram) also offered halls to be used as quarantine facilities, a government official said on May 27.
Mizoram is currently facing shortage of quarantine facilities with the increase in the number of returnees from outside the state, the official added.
Task group on quarantine facilities chairperson Esther Lal Ruatkimi said the government and churches have so far set up more than 500 quarantine facilities to accommodate 14,358 people.
She said that the government required quarantine facilities with a total capacity of at least 20,000 people and efforts are one to identify more facilities to accommodate people who are returning to the state.
More than 10,000 stranded in different parts of the country were yet to return to the state. As many as 2,518 people are currently placed under quarantine across the state. Of these, 1,940 people are quarantined at government designated facilities, 414 at church halls, 163 placed under home quarantine and seven others are lodged at hotel at their own expense, an official said.
At present 543 quarantine facilities, including 168 halls, have been offered by churches, across the state.
