SHILLONG: The state recorded eight COVID cases since Friday taking the number to 26 on Saturday, but the government said the situation was still “safe” since these can be accounted for.
“If the situation arises when we are not able to count the cases then we have to take a call on what kind of transmission is going on,” Director of Health Services (MI), Dr Aman War said on Saturday.
Talking to reporters here, he informed that of the eight positive cases, five are from Ri Bhoi district and three from East Khasi Hills district.
As of now, there are 11 active cases in East Khasi Hills (10 males and one female), followed by 10 in Ri Bhoi (six males and four females), two in South West Garo Hills (both males), one in East Jaiñtia Hills (male) and two in West Garo Hills (both males).
He said information was received on Friday night of four persons from Ri Bhoi 13 Mile area testing positive for the virus.
“These four cases have no relation with Khanapara B area active case,” he said. The four are contacts of two persons who, although residents of the state, had tested positive in Guwahati.
Of the two persons, one was working in a call centre in Guwahati while the other had gone there for treatment. “The samples of these persons were taken on July 2. The person who had an ailment had gone to the hospital in Guwahati and subsequently sent back home. But on the same day, he was found to be positive”, he said.
The authorities from Guwahati picked up this particular person from 13 Mile, who resides on the Meghalaya side, and placed him under isolation in Guwahati.
After being alerted, Ri Bhoi district surveillance team went for contact tracing of these two persons and four people eventually tested positive.
Meanwhile, another positive case was reported from Khanapara B area where the first index of Ri Bhoi district was working in Greenwood Resort.
In addition, three more BSF jawans, who were posted at Lyngkhat village in East Khasi Hills, tested positive and they had to be brought to Shillong and kept under quarantine.
“Now, we have a very few people in Lyngkhat from BSF. An advisory was issued to BSF that samples be taken from all the jawans posted at Lyngkhat to ensure that we do not miss a single case,” War said.
He also said that BSF is stringently following the protocols even as he added that there was no mingling of BSF personnel with local populace in the area.
Meanwhile, the random testing of the people in Khanapara area started on Saturday and 350 people were tested through rapid test and all of them tested negative.
Ri Bhoi district Deputy Commissioner RM Kurbah on Saturday said that the four new persons who have tested positive were being kept at the corona centre, our Nongpoh correspondent adds.
She also informed that their families as well as their contacts were also being closely monitored and tested so as to prevent any further spread of the pandemic in the district and the state. Kurbah also urged the people of the district especially those in the affected areas where curfew has been imposed to cooperate with the government so as to contain the spread of the disease.
Pointing out that there is no vaccine yet for the disease, she said the only way out is to take care of oneself by maintaining social distancing at all times, wearing face masks in public areas and those, who are in curfew areas, should not come out unless there is an emergency.
