The Mizoram government said there was enough supply of essential commodities to last three months. The State government had in order to prevent the entry of people infected with COVID-19, sealed its borders, barring a few entry-exit points, on Monday, triggering panic-buying.
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This has allayed fears of scarcity of essential commoditiesafter the sealing of its borders due to the panic-buying triggered by the COVID-19 scare.The government also initiated a probe against a social media post that accentuated the panic. The post — the day the sealing of the international and inter-State borders was announced — claimed that a COVID-19-infected man had entered the State from Assam.
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“They (people) have been made to realise that sealing of borders does not mean stopping the transportation of goods,” said Lalhriatzuali Ralte, Mizoram’s Director of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs told The Hindu from State capital Aizawl.
Mizoram shares borders with Assam, Manipur and Tripura, and with Bangladesh and Myanmar. The State government had, in order to prevent the entry of people infected with COVID-19, sealed the borders barring a few entry-exit points.
Temporary scarcity
But the announcement, coupled with the social media post, led to panic buying and temporary scarcity of commodities from local markets as people stocked up on rice, salt, cooking oil and other essentials.
“Things are returning to normal after our officials held meetings in the districts and convinced the people that we have enough food grains, fuel, cooking gas and other essentials to last three months. They have also been made to realise that sealing of borders does not mean stopping the transportation of goods,” Lalhriatzuali Ralte, Mizoram’s Director of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs told The Hindu from State capital Aizawl.
Aizawl district’s Superintendent of Police C. Lalruaia said the police filed a first information report against the social media post that caused more panic than the sealing of borders. “Our IT cell is trying to find the person responsible for creating this fake scare about an infected man having come to Mizoram to spread the virus,” he said.
Health authorities in Mizoram have so far placed 67 persons who returned from foreign countries on home-quarantine. None of them tested positive for COVID-19, officials said.
