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Village authorities of Manad village in Meghalaya’s South West Khasi Hills district have tendered an unconditional apology to a family of seven, which included a six-month-old baby, for asking them to be “jungle quarantined.”

After the “jungle quarantine” incident went viral on social media, the South West Khasi Hills district administration conducted an enquiry.

During the course of the enquiry conducted by H Kerwood Thabah, extra assistant commissioner, the family and the village heads sat across together and the village heads “tendered an apology to the family,” which the family accepted.

The finding of the report said the village heads “didn’t coerce the family” to move away from their homes in the village, but they did “suggest” the same.

According to the enquiry report, the 15-year-old daughter of Pristina Shylla and Borming Nongbsaw in Manad village, South West Khasi Hills was under home quarantine after returning from Shillong.

However, the village heads asked the family to move to their “hut near their plantation” at Mawtangdiar which is 15 minutes away from their house at Manad village as a precaution, according to the enquiry report.

The family felt “it was practical to shift to their hut at where they could cultivate their broomstick and black pepper crop rather than sitting idle under quarantine at their home in Manad,” the report stated.

The family of seven collected food and necessities and then shifted to their hut at Mawtangdiar.

But a few days later the family returned to their village due to the requirement of food and medicine for the baby. After their return some youths came and interviewed the family on camera on their “jungle quarantine” which went viral.

“The deputy commissioner has directed all sector officers and the information education and communication (IEC) teams to intensify awareness, especially in remote areas of the district, so that there is no misunderstanding or doubt related to COVID-19, which may lead to similar misunderstandings or incidents,” Thabah stated in the report.

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